Trust in Me
by Sucker4Scandal
Summary: Olivia is a young woman who is looking for a fresh start for her life. Things seem to be falling into place for her until she has a strange encounter on her first day at work with a funny & charming man who threatens to disrupt her new normal.
1. Chapter 1

**Fresh Start**

It was a busy day at the beach with adults and kids of all ages playing in the water and on the sand as far as the eye could see. It wasn't a holiday or even the weekend for that matter, but the temperature was hovering in the nineties, and that was reason enough for the masses of adults to head toward open waters to cool down and tire out their young children.

The sand was practically white in color, but pieces of dried black seaweed were generously sprinkled on top of it too. She sat down on the sand beside her brightly colored beach bag and just people watched for a few minutes. She spotted a woman with a ginormous red hat on, making her stick out from the crowd for miles. A dad carried three ice cream cones towards his little family sitting on towels. There were so many people here in this beach town. It had been easy to slip in as a native. She supposed she was a native of sorts, having lived in a similar town when she was a kid twenty summers ago. Beach towns were all basically the same. It was good to be back in one. It felt normal.

When the heat made thinking seem like a chore, she slipped her feet out of her flip flops and stood up. The warmth from the sand felt good on her small feet and she squeezed the miniscule grains between her lavender painted toes. There had always been something therapeutic about being at the ocean, and today was no different.

The sky was an exceptional blue today and almost perfectly clear. There were a few small white puffy clouds taking their time to lazily float across the sky. A slight salty breeze whipped her hair in every possible direction. Instead of it annoying her, she let the wind do its worst. She'd brush it out later. Wind whipped hair was the least of her worries these days. Rain wasn't in the forecast today and she was relieved to know it. She probably would have come to the beach today even if it was raining though, truth be told. Very few things kept her away from it in the past, but today was a special day.

The water was aqua in color and seemed to be crystal clear as far as the eye could see. The waves with their white frothy tops rolled towards the sand with a soothing, repetitious, hypnotic display of majesty. The moment the water crashed onto the firmly packed sand, it was dragged back out, only to be pushed back to shore once again. Olivia found herself smiling as she watched it for quite some time. She knew that seashells of all sizes and colors, mixed in with debris and more sand were being pushed on the shoreline as effortlessly as breathing. The scene greeting her appeared to be that from a postcard.

Off to the left from where she stood with her toes in the warm sand, there was a long wooden pier. She put her hand on her brow to shelter the sun's bright rays and looked to see if anything was happening there. She could see that it was lined with dozens of men who either had a passion for fishing or who were actually skilled in the art of catching them. Most of them had on ball caps and cargo shorts and kept an eye on the thin line that ran from the end of their poles all the way down into the water. An image of her father popped into her mind, bringing a smile to her face. Seeing the fishermen there was a comfort for her.

She started walking towards the water with a purpose in mind. The warm, dry, loose sand turned cooler and more compact the closer her toes got to the water. The ocean was warm and inviting, and before she realized it, Olivia was standing knee deep in the aqua colored water. She halted all movement and took a moment to just breathe. Closing her eyes, Olivia tilted her head up towards the sun, and blocked out all of the sounds around her. She simply focused on breathing in and out. There was something calming about the ocean in Olivia's opinion. It was the place she went for clarity or peace or to do heavy thinking. It offered her solace, and she willingly took it.

While she enjoyed her serene moment, a child let out an ear piercing scream and Olivia's brown eyes flew open and her head snapped in the direction the sound had come from. A girl of around five or six was being splashed by what appeared to be her mother. In a flash, both of them were laughing and splashing each other giddily. The word seemed foreign to her, but it would be a new one to define her by the time fall arrived.

Mother.

Olivia brought her hands up and put them on her belly as she took another deep breath in. She looked down even though she knew her stomach was still smooth and flat. There was no roundness there. No proof that she was in fact pregnant. Ten weeks pregnant to be exact. There may not be anything to see yet, but she knew there was a life growing inside of her.

Whispering to her belly Olivia said, "this is the ocean. One day we'll look for seashells here and build sand castles together. I'll teach you how to swim and ride the waves all the way to the shore too. The ocean is a magical place. That's why we moved here."

Two weeks ago, at the age of twenty three, she was starting over all by herself. She had packed all of her possessions and moved to a beach town just like the one she had lived in as a child. Olivia had gotten lucky and found a job working the front desk of a decent hotel. She was by herself and didn't have the luxury of being picky about where she worked. She had to make enough money to buy food, pay the rent for the tiny one bedroom apartment she had landed the day before, and keep her car in operation. The baby's father had given her more than enough money.

It had been a mistake getting involved with him in the first place. He was older than Olivia by fourteen years. The fact that her family didn't like him should have been her first red flag. She had blinders on whenever she was around him and didn't notice things that should have bothered her. He saw her as a play thing. Someone to flaunt as eye candy in front of his co-workers for functions away from the office as well as someone to satisfy his physical needs.

Olivia had a hard time blaming him because she used him too. He was older and knew what he wanted out of life and that appealed to her. The guys her own age that she had dated in the past didn't seem to know what they were doing, or what they wanted to do. There was none of that with him. He was an older man who had been at his job for quite some time and was already settled in his profession. He had nice things, good taste, as well as plenty of money. He bought her expensive clothing and fine jewelry every time she accompanied him on a work related outing or weekend. While he was in meetings on these outings, he gave Olivia plenty of money to keep herself occupied.

He treated her well and they enjoyed each other's company, but both of them knew it wasn't a long term relationship. It was something that benefitted both of them in different ways for the time being. When Olivia found out she was pregnant, she was in shock for quite some time. She was on birth control. This wasn't supposed to happen to her.

She recalled the day she told him about his impending fatherhood. Olivia called him to let him know she was on her way to his apartment just as she had done practically every evening before. He told her he was cooking dinner, and for her to let herself. She called out his name from inside the front door. "Still in the kitchen." he yelled back.

Olivia followed the odor wafting from the other room and found him standing in front of the stove turning chicken breasts in a pan. Her face crinkled at the smell of the food, or the grease, or the combination of the two. It was one of her favorite dishes, but this time it smelled horrible. She went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink.

"Hey pretty girl." he said grinning and kissed her cheek.

"Hey yourself." Olivia tried to ignore the stench in the pan and focused on him instead. "How was your day today?"

He put his hands on her waist and pecked her lips. "It was great. We closed the deal."

Her eyes grew wide. "You did? Really?"

He giddily nodded and pulled her into his arms. "Did you doubt me? You know what this means, right? This is huge and we've got to celebrate."

"Okay, but ummm..." she began.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. As he thumbed through the large bills he said, "buy yourself a dress for dinner tomorrow night. Maybe something red this time? And buy something sexy to wear for after dinner too. We're going to be celebrating long into the night."

Olivia knew what he was saying. What he was asking for. And she had no problem going shopping for new stuff. But they had something to discuss first. Smiling it him, she said, "can we talk for a minute?"

"Uh oh. That's never good." He let go of her and went back to the stove. "Let me get this chicken out of the pan first. The macaroni and cheese is in the oven. I made all your favorites tonight, pretty girl."

He turned his head and gave her a sexy smirk. "I'm counting on you to give me my favorite later on."

The foul smell coming from the pan couldn't be avoided any longer. Her stomach turned and she knew she was going to vomit. Without answering his question, Olivia covered her mouth and bolted from the room.

Ten minutes later, after emptying the contents of her stomach while listening to him pound on the other side of the door and yelling for her to open it, Olivia emerged from the bathroom. She knew her face was pale and that she looked terrible. She felt terrible too. "What the hell was THAT?" he demanded.

"I'm not feeling well." she answered meekly.

"What's the matter with you? Are you getting sick? Did you eat something bad? What's going on?"

There was no easy way to tell him, so she just said it. "I'm pregnant." She lifted her head to look at him and gauge his reaction.

His eyes were squinted, and his nose was crinkled. "What did you just say?"

"I'm pregnant. I don't know how far along I am, but I did two home tests this morning and both of them were positive. I'm sorry."

"I thought you were on the pill?" he accused.

"I am." she said defensively. "but it's not one hundred percent effective. Even I know that."

He sighed and opened his arms. Olivia went into them and began to cry. "I didn't plan this to happen. I'm really sorry."

He smoothed her hair and spoke gently to her. "I know you didn't, pretty girl. It's okay."

Olivia sniffed loudly and looked up at him. "It is?"

"Of course it is. Accidents happen. It's no one's fault." He wiped her tears with his thumb and smiled at her.

"I'm so relieved to hear you say that. I thought you'd be mad at me. I couldn't stand the thought of that. It was hard enough the last time you were mad at me." There was something in his eyes that didn't settle with Olivia. She had to ask. "Are you...sure it's okay?"

"Absolutely. We'll get it taken care of in a few days. By the time next week, you'll be feeling more like yourself."

Olivia pulled out of his arms with confusion all over her face. "Taken care of? What do you mean?"

"I mean that you'll get an abortion, pretty girl. It's the only sensible thing to do."

"Why can't we keep it?" she asked. Olivia felt like a five year old asking to keep a kitten she had found in the rain instead of the baby growing side of her body.

"Are you out of your mind? We are not keeping a baby!" he exclaimed. "We aren't baby people. We are party people. Stay out til three a.m. celebrating people who come home and have wild and crazy sex for hours afterwards. That's the kind of people we are!"

"Yea, and that's how we got to this place in our lives. We are having a baby."

He pointed a finger in her face and again reached for his wallet. "NO! We are most definitely not having a baby! Take some money and get it taken care of. Tomorrow is Friday and that will give you the weekend and next week to recover. If you're up to it, we'll go out the week after that."

"What if I want to keep the baby?" Olivia asked.

"You aren't cut out to be a mom, pretty girl." he replied, placating her. "You're cut out for five star restaurants and hot off the runway clothing. Why would you want to give all that up?"

"Can't we talk about this? Please?" Olivia felt like she was begging and hated herself for being reduced to that.

His answer was a simple one. "No. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want a baby. Not now. Not ever."

It seemed that he had made up his mind. Well, Olivia had made up hers too and she was keeping her baby. She knew she would have to get far away from him. The plan he had laid out would give her plenty of time to get out of town undetected as she "recovered". She didn't want to take his money. She really didn't want anything to do with him, but Olivia also knew she didn't have much of it herself and that it would take a decent amount to find a place to live. He wouldn't have to pay for diapers or clothing or anything his baby would need, and that immediately relieved all the guilt for her. "I'll need some money."

He kissed her through smiling lips and then handed her some large bills. "That's my girl. Five hundred will cover it."

Knowing how to play the game, Olivia smiled at him and replied, "I'm going to want to buy something new for my first night back here with you. Something special. You know how shopping cheers me up."

"I like it when you think ahead." He handed her a few more bills. "Make it extra special."

He offered her something to eat and gave her a sympathetic look when she declined and told him she just wanted to go home. He put his arm around her and walked her to the door. "You probably should go home and rest tonight. You'll be sleeping a lot after you get this taken care of too. But I bet you'll feel better in no time at all."

Olivia wondered how he knew how much an abortion cost and how he also knew that she would be sleeping a lot once it was over, but she didn't ask him. She gave him a smile at the door, knowing it would be the last time she would see him again. "I'll text you soon."

"Take care of my pretty girl." he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "I can't wait to see you in ten days.

Instead, the next morning Olivia had packed most of her stuff into her car. She was going to use the money he had given her to leave town. She went by her parent's house and told them that she had gotten a job offer in a town a few hours away. She hyped it up telling them it was a great opportunity for her. She was vague about the details but also told them that she would be in touch once she got settled into her new place. They had been blowing up her phone with calls and texts, and while she had text them to let them know she had made it safely, she hadn't spoken to them yet. She had been in the small beach town for over a week.

The man had text and called her too, wondering where she was and why she wasn't answering him. The first few days Olivia ignored him. Once the voice mails turned ugly and were filled with him shouting at her, Olivia blocked his number. When she realized that she was using the phone he had bought her and that he could probably track her whereabouts if he wanted to, she wrote down her parents number and turned off the phone for good. She bought a phone the next day with cash and programed one number into it. Her parents.

Shutting out thoughts of the unborn baby's father, Olivia recalled the plan she had written down with fresh determination. She still had a list of things to do. Finding an obstetrician here and setting up an appointment was at the top of that list. She planned to buy baby stuff a little each week. Diapers too. She had to find a crib and a few other things her unborn child would need when it arrived. She would do it a little at a time. It would be hard, but Olivia knew she'd make it work. She had to. There was no other choice.

She was suddenly brought back to reality as the waves gently licked at her legs and warm water sprayed her thighs. Taking one final deep breath in, Olivia knew the future seemed uncertain and definitely a lot more difficult than it had been a week ago, but there was some measure of peace about it too. She was determined to make sure that both she and her baby were going to be fine.

Taking a few steps out into the deeper darker water, Olivia dove into it. She swam a short distance before she broke through the surface and wiped her eyes. She could taste the salt on her lips and the promise of better days ahead; even if they were filed with their own challenges. That was the magic of the ocean. Olivia swam for a while and rode the waves as far as they would carry her towards the shoreline.

She walked out of the ocean and back to her beach bag. Wrapping the towel around herself, she sat down in the sand and reached into her bag for the only other thing inside of it. A brightly iced cupcake she had bought at the little grocery store. She lifted the plastic dome lid and inhaled the scent of the tasty confection. She gingerly lifted it out of the container between her thumb and index finger. With a huge smile she whispered, "happy birthday to me" and took a big bite.

_I was stuck on what to title this story. For some reason the song At Last popped into my head, but I didn't want to use that. It's their wedding song. I Googled the names of all the songs on the album with At Last. Etta James has a song on that album titled Trust in Me. I listened to it once and knew that was the one. It's perfect for what I have in mind to write. Also, just t__o clarify...The baby's father isn't Fitz. _


	2. Miscommunication

**Miscommunication**

"This is your locker where you can put your personal belongings during your shifts. Unfortunately, you'll have to watch a training DVD before we bring you out to get some hands on experience, but it's only forty five minutes long. I'll apologize ahead of time for forcing you to watch it." Mark said with a smile.

Mark Peterson had been the manager of the hotel for over a decade. He knew everything there was to know about the hotel as well as the business of running one. With his vast knowledge, he was also very hands on with the day to day running of it. He took special care of new employees, making sure that they were comfortable on their first day and were introduced to the other employees.

"It's okay." Olivia chuckled. Her nervous energy had her arriving to work fifteen minutes early. She had been given her uniform the day before as well as her work schedule for the week. She had on black dress pants and a light blue button up shirt and perfectly blended in with the rest of the staff. "I'm ready to get started."

A young woman, appearing to be close to Olivia's age entered the small room in the back. She smiled politely at Olivia and said, "hello."

"Hello." Olivia echoed. She extended her right arm and added, "I'm Olivia. The newbie."

"Nice to meet you, Olivia. I'm Abby." She opened her locker and set her purse down. "Today your first day?"

"Yea. How'd you know?"

"You have that...I'm super excited to be here look in your eyes." Abby joked.

"You're telling me that wears off?" Olivia asked in mock surprise.

"Within the hour. Wait! Have you watched the training video yet?"

"About to go start it."

"Correction. Within forty five minutes." Abby said grinning. "But then you'll be with me, and it'll get fun again. Try not to fall asleep, Olivia. It's Friday and that's our busiest day of the week."

"Great. Busy is good in my book."

Abby looked down at Olivia's heel clad feet and then back up to her face. "You say that now. But an hour on your feet in those stilts will have you wishing it was your off day. A little advice, buy some stylish but sensible shoes."

"I had no idea there was such a thing. I thought we had to choose one or the other." Olivia said grinning.

"I like her." Abby told Mark. "Once you get your first paycheck we'll go shopping together. I'll show you a place where you don't have to choose one or the other. See you out there." She closed her locker and disappeared.

"Is everybody as nice as she is?" Olivia asked.

"No. It's all downhill from here I'm afraid." Mark replied with a chuckle. "Everyone is pretty great around here, actually."

Olivia finished the training DVD in the break room almost an hour later. She didn't know if Mark was coming to get her or if she should just make her way to the lobby by herself. When it was obvious that he wasn't coming, Olivia made her way out from the back room until she found people milling around near the check in desk.

Abby was happily assisting a customer and Olivia silently watched their interaction. Their conversation was a pleasant one as was the tone of Abby's voice. She kept eye contact with the customer unless she was entering information into the computer monitor in front of her. A key card was handed to the customer and the smiling woman left, heading towards the elevator. "Piece of cake" Olivia muttered.

She went to stand behind the counter next to Abby. The two women exchanged a smile as the next person in line stepped up to the counter. Abby gestured for Olivia to take the lead. She swallowed her nerves and in a bubbly voice said, "Good afternoon. How can I help you?"

"I have a reservation under the name Brian McConnell."

"Great. Let's take a look." Olivia chirped. Abby typed his name and found his reservation. "There you are, Mr. McConnell. You are staying with us until Wednesday. Is that correct?"

"It is."

"Great. Will you be paying with cash or using a card today?"

"Cash please." He whispered. "I'm on the run and can't leave a paper trail."

Olivia lifted her shocked gaze from the computer screen to the man standing in front of her. He looked normal, didn't look anything like a fugitive running from the law. But then, how would she know what that looked like? He seemed normal. "Whaaaaat?" she said a little too loudly.

He grinned at her. "I'm just kidding. I stay here all the time for business. You're obviously new and I couldn't help but take the opportunity to mess with you. I'm sorry."

She chuckled at him. "No, that was actually a good one. You got me. My name is Olivia."

"Nice to meet you, Olivia. It's nice to know you have a good sense of humor." He passed her his credit card.

Olivia completed the transaction and handed Mr. McConnell his card, receipt, and his room keys. "Enjoy your stay, Mr. McConnell."

When he was gone, Abby let the other employee know that she would be right back. She gestured for Olivia to follow her to a small office behind the check in. "That was pretty great. There are a few small things that need to be mentioned about that check in. Can you think of anything you could have done better?"

Olivia knew the moment she audibly reacted to his outlandish comment that she should have kept it to herself. "Yea, when he said he was on the run I shouldn't have responded that way. I should have just kept quiet."

Abby chuckled. "Brian is a fun character and he gives us some comic relief from the mundane check ins. And if I'm honest, I probably would have reacted the same way. We just have to be careful about coming across as professional at all times around our guests. Even him."

"Got it." Olivia said in a determined tone. "Anything else?"

"Not really. You did a great job. You connected with him. You laughed at his joke. You kept it professional, besides that small slip. Do you want to try the next one by yourself?" Abby asked.

"Really? Do you think I'm ready?" Olivia asked.

"I'll be right there if you need me." Abby encouraged her as they made their way back to the counter.

A petite middle aged woman stepped closer to the counter. Olivia welcomed her to the hotel and began looking for her name in the computer once it was given. "Yes ma'am. You are staying with us until Sunday, correct?"

"That's right. I'm here for a visit with my daughter." the older woman informed her.

"That's great. I hope you have a wonderful visit with her." Olivia suddenly wished her own mother was here for a visit. She missed her tremendously.

"Thank you. We are going to have a beach day together tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to relaxing in the water and getting a little sun too."

Olivia leaned conspiratorially closer. "I was out there a few days ago and it was heaven. The sun isn't too hot yet and the water is the perfect temperature to warm you up and make you feel invigorated at the same time. If that makes any sense?"

"It makes perfect sense. Thank you. I'm even more excited to get out there now." She said with a grin.

"You are going to love it here, Ms. Thompson. You are in room five twenty four and that's on the fifth floor. Here are your room keys. If you need anything at all, you can call down here from your room or stop by the desk if you are out and about." Olivia said with a smile.

"Thank you very much."

"Enjoy your stay, Ms. Thompson." Olivia watched her pull her medium sized suitcase towards the elevator.

Her mind went back to her own mother, and Olivia wished she could see her. It would be nice to be able to talk to her or enjoy a day on the beach with her. There was nothing quite as soothing in the world like a good conversation with your mother. Maybe she would call her mom tonight after her shift ended. Maybe their conversation would be a civil one this time?

Olivia's hand slipped down to her stomach as thoughts of her becoming this little one's mother swirled in her head. It was going to be hard, but she was determined to carve out a happy new life for her and her baby. She needed some independence, if for no other reason than to show herself that she could do it without a man's help.

A tall gentleman with a large suitcase stepped up to the counter. Not paying much attention, Olivia spewed out the greeting. "Good afternoon. Can I help you?"

"Hi. I need a room please."

Olivia's head snapped up to properly greet the man that belonged to the deep, rich, baritone voice. Her eyes quickly scanned his face. His blue eyes reminded Olivia of the ocean she constantly loved to be near. He had a great smile which displayed perfectly straight white teeth. This guest looked like a human ken doll and he was easily the most handsome man she had seen since she had moved into town.

Embarrassed at gawking at this stranger, Olivia recalled her training and his request for a room. Putting on a bright smile she said, "Of course. Do you have a reservation?"

"I do not." He made a face, leaned a little closer, and asked, "is that going to be a problem?"

"Let me take a look to see if we have any vacancies." Olivia tapped on the keyboard and then lifted her head to give him the news. "We have a couple of rooms available."

"Great!"

"How long are you planning to stay with us?"

He raked a hand through his hair as he contemplated his answer. "A week? It could be longer, but we can start with that."

"Sure. We can make changes to your stay with us if necessary. Just let us know as soon as you can if you will be staying longer. Would you like to pay with cash or a card?" Olivia politely asked him.

"Card." He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and plucked a credit card from inside. Passing it to her he smiled and said, "Here you go."

"Thank you." Olivia glimpsed his name before swiping it and handing him a printed piece of paper for him to sign along with his card. "You are all set, Mr. Johnson. We offer a free continental breakfast from six until nine every morning, and you can order food from room service to be delivered to your room until eleven p.m. Do you have any questions?"

"What do you recommend from room service?" he asked with a lopsided grin.

She had no idea what was on the room service menu yet. She definitely couldn't make a recommendation. Olivia made a mental note to look into that to have a better answer for the next guest who asked. Knowing she'd probably have the error discussed by Abby, Olivia went with her gut and told him the truth. "Honestly, today is my first day and I haven't had the opportunity to look at the menu yet. I'm so sorry. But I can ask one of the other employees. I'm sure they have a favorite."

"It's fine." he told her with a wave of his hand. "It's really your very first day on the job?"

"I probably shouldn't have told you that, but yes. You're my first solo check in too." she admitted sheepishly.

"Is that so?" he asked curiously.

"I feel like I have made a hundred mistakes since I started talking to you."

"Probably." he said mildly, and then grinned over the counter at her. "But who cares? Do you need me to fill out one of those comment cards on your service? Cause I will. I can lie with the best of them."

Olivia was laughing so hard she slapped a hand over her mouth to contain the noise. It felt good to let loose and laugh. She hadn't had many joyful moments since moving here all alone and starting her life over.

"You have a great laugh." he commented with a grin. "You shouldn't hide it. And for the record, you were great. Very professional, until you started laughing like a hyena."

Still laughing, and trying in vain not to, she lifted her hand as if she was going to jokingly swat him and froze. Her hand was cocked back, her eyes were wide with shock and zeroed in on him, while her mouth was hanging open. What was wrong with her? She was at work and had been ready to hit a guest?! It was an action that was grounds for her termination. Olivia wondered how to begin to apologize for her behavior when his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"And almost became violent." he chuckled. "I fully deserved the smack you were about to give me, by the way."

Abby stepped closer, edging Olivia out, and cleared her throat. "Will you be needing anything else, Sir?"

Mr. Johnson's gaze went from one woman to the other before it settled on Abby and he gestured to Olivia. "Look. I'm sure that this young lady is going to get a talking to or even possibly written up for what almost just happened here."

"Yes, Sir." Abby answered.

"If I need to talk to her superior to smooth things over, I don't have a problem with that. We were just joking around."

"Sir, she almost struck you." Abby pointed out. "Our employees are not permitted to put their hands on our guests. She will be terminated as soon as your transaction is settled."

Olivia's stomach dropped. She was getting fired. Great. What was she gonna do now? The only thing she could do was stand there without speaking until she was let go.

"I don't want her to be terminated. We were just kidding around. If anything, I agitated her." The handsome guest protested.

"I appreciate that, Sir. But our employees are trained to deal with customers who agitate them. She just finished watching a training DVD before she helped you." Abby enlightened him.

Mr. Johnson's face crinkled as he turned to look at Olivia. "Really? No wonder you wanted to hit someone."

Olivia bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"Well she obviously needed a human moment after being cooped up inside a small room watching a training DVD. God, how boring was that shit anyways?" he asked her.

Olivia kept a calm expression on her face as she kept her head up high. She was minutes away from being unemployed. She'd have to look for another job that didn't require flipping burgers or wearing a ridiculous costume. She had just started liking this job and making friends too! She shouldn't have acted like she was going to hit him. She was an idiot! Shaking her head back and forth she gave him a look of regret. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Johnson. I shouldn't have acted like that. It was very wrong of me and I hope you'll forgive me for my actions."

"It looks like she paid attention to the part where you apologize to the customer?" he tried. "Can't we just forget that this happened and let it go?"

"I'm afraid..."

"She could...be demoted. Or...I dunno." he stammered. "There's got to be something she could do that would rectify the situation in your opinion?"

"I'm sorry. This isn't in my hands anymore. It will have to be reported to the manager." Abby informed him firmly. "Now, if you have everything you will need for your stay with us."

"I didn't want to do this. I really didn't. But you're leaving me no choice." he began in a frustrated tone.

"Sir..." Abby began impatiently.

Mr. Johnson pulled a car from his wallet, snapped it down on the counter, and pushed it towards Abby with an unhappy look. "My name is Fitzgerald Grant. I am the nephew of the owner of this hotel."

Olivia's eyes snapped to his in shock. Was he serious? He was related to the owner of the hotel? This couldn't be good, no matter how hard he was trying to help Olivia keep her job. Still, something inside of her hoped.

Now it was Abby's turn to freeze. She didn't know whether to believe him or not. She did know that the owners last name was Grant, but this guy could have Googled it and made a fake ID. Clearly, he had more than one of them in his wallet. "Wait a minute. A moment ago, you said your name was Mr. Johnson. You had a card with that name on it." Holding up the new card with the name he now professed as a relative of the owner, Abby asked, "how do I know this isn't a fake and your real name is Mr. Johnson?"

Fitz took a deep breath in. This was supposed to be an under the radar stay in his uncle's hotel for a few weeks. He needed to blend in with all the tourists and not stand out like a sore thumb. That plan was long gone now. He could practically hear his father's condescending tone asking him why on Earth he was spending time at the beach instead of in the boardroom. He would deal with his father when the time came.

For now, he needed to deal with the woman in front of him who thought she was the morality police. Fitz was going to call her buzzkill Becky in his mind. "I don't exactly flaunt my name when I stay at the family's hotels. I find it a bit pretentious. Besides, there are times when I do check in to various locations of our hotels to see how smoothly things are running. For those visits, I use my alias of Fitz Johnson." And now, for the lie to cover his ass. "This is one of those visits."

"Uhhhh." Abby faltered a bit at his last statement, but quickly regained her composure. "I'm very sorry for the confusion, as well as the accusation, Mr. Grant. I saw a trained employee about to hit a guest and stepped in. I was just doing my job. Surely you can see where that was a necessary step on my part as her trainer?"

"I absolutely do. You took over gracefully and professionally, making the transition effortless."

"Thank you." she sighed, feeling somewhat relieved.

"But, there is the age old phrase that still rings true that says the customer is always right. I don't understand why your next step wasn't to discreetly call a manager over to diffuse the situation instead of arguing with me in front of other guests?" He was putting her on the spot, much like she had done to the other employee. Fitz wondered how she liked it?

"You are correct. I could have handled the situation a little better as well. In my own defense, I was trying to fix the problem on my own. In a typical situation, where you are a typical guest, I feel that I would have successfully handled it well on my own without the need of..."

"And you are still standing here arguing with me in front of guests." Fitz said, with a smug smile on his face. He slid his card into his wallet, and his wallet into his back pocket. His blue eyes flicked from one woman to the next and then back to the first one. "I think we need to find the manager right now and all four of us should sit down and have a conversation."

Olivia gulped. Here came the firing. Still, she kept her head up and showed no signs of worry on the outside. Inside, she was freaking out!

Abby sighed, feeling utterly defeated. She had just been put in her place the same as she had done to Olivia. She wasn't a fan of the feeling. She needed to talk to Olivia before they were both fired and apologize for acting so superior. She spoke in hushed tones to the employee nearby, who had heard the entire exchange, but had been smart enough to mind his own business, and asked him to take care of the remaining few check ins. She led Olivia and Mr. Grant to Mark's office.


	3. What Just Happened

**What Just Happened**

Olivia was sitting in the plush recliner from the comfort of her tiny living room. The recliner was the only new piece of furniture she owned at the moment. She justified making the hefty purchase for two reasons. The first was for her comfort. Olivia knew the further she got along in her pregnancy the more uncomfortable she would become. The chair was to help keep her as comfortable as possible. It was also partly for the baby. The chair doubled as a rocker and that would benefit the baby on nights when belly aches, sickness, or teething eventually came along.

Her short legs hung over one of the arms of the chair and gently kicked back and forth as she ate a bowl of fresh fruit. Popping a blueberry into her mouth, Olivia noticed that her lavender toenail polish was beginning to chip. She frowned at the sight of it and decided to correct that by painting them when she got back home later that evening.

Her tiny living room still had a few boxes stacked up against a wall waiting for her to take the things from inside of them and put them in their new place. Some of the things inside the boxes were items she had brought from home, while others had been bought at a local thrift store after she had arrived. She wanted her things around her but was also trying to create a new space too. The blend of familiar and new to her seemed like the perfect way to achieve that. Olivia gave the boxes a grimace, knowing she wasn't in the mood to deal with all of that today. She didn't have time even if she was in the mood. She had to leave for work in ten minutes and was determined to enjoy her free time at home while she could.

The apartment was clean, her bed was made, and her furniture was all in place. She just had to deal with those boxes, and she would be completely settled in her new space. Maybe she'd tackle one or two tonight while her toes dried? Not that it mattered if her toes were painted at all for the next few weeks. No one would be seeing her toes for a while. Her eyes flicked down to the ugly black shoes she was required to wear to work now. No matter how hard she tried to keep her mind in the moment, it kept slipping back to the events that had happened at work three days ago.

Mark Peterson had been caught off guard when Mr. Grant appeared outside his office door with Olivia and Abby in tow. He had met the owner's nephew a few times before when he had previously stayed in the hotel. The sight of him and two of his employees brought a sinking feeling in the pit of Mr. Peterson's stomach. "Mr. Grant? Is everything alright here?"

"Not exactly. And please, call me Fitz."

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were coming to stay with us. I would have made preparations for your arrival."

Fitz waved his hand dismissively. "You know I don't like special treatment. I'm sorry to bother you, but we have a problem with these two ladies."

Mark's eyes went huge and he looked like he was about to blow a gasket. "What have you done?"

Abby and Olivia looked at him but were too fearful to say anything.

Fitz held up two hands, palms up, towards the manager. "It's not the end of the world. But I do think you should be brought into it. I was checking in a few minutes ago. Trying to retain my anonymity and be treated like everyone else. I was enjoying a nice conversation with this young lady." He gestured to Olivia. "When this young lady abruptly inserted herself into it and began causing problems."

Mr. Peterson's head jerked in Abby's direction. The expression on his face was mortifying. "You did WHAT?"

Abby remained quiet and waited for her opportunity to speak. This guy wasn't telling the entire story and she wasn't about to lose her job because of it. She didn't give a damn who he was or who he was related to.

"One thing led to another, and she tells me that this girl is most likely going to lose her job over it. The situation wasn't serious enough to warrant her termination. So, here we are."

"I think we should start over. From the very beginning please." Mr. Peterson said in a firm tone. "Who checked him in?"

"I did." Olivia spoke up in a clear voice. "Abby had just given me the go ahead to do my first solo check in. It's definitely not something I'll ever forget."

Mr. Peterson glared at her.

"Right. Anyways, we were talking and Mr. Johnson...sorry, Mr. Grant, was making me laugh." Olivia snuck a glance over at him and found him grinning at her now.

"How exactly does that lead to Abby talking about your termination?" Mr. Peterson wanted to know.

"Well...Uhhhh...You see. What happened was..." Olivia stammered. She really didn't want to talk about this part even though she knew she'd have to.

"She was going to hit him." Abby said plainly.

"WHAT?" Mr. Peterson erupted. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Wait just a minute." Fitz said.

"Of course you'll be terminated." he told Olivia. "That is not allowable under any circumstances."

Olivia hung her head quietly. She knew it would eventually come to this. She didn't blame Mark for it either. If the situation were reversed, she would do the same thing.

"Hold on. There's no need to..." Fitz began.

Mr. Peterson pointed a finger at his door while looking at Olivia. "You can go collect your things from your locker, Ms. Pope. You no longer work here."

"HEY!" Fitz yelled.

The three adults stopped moving and turned to look at him. Had he really just yelled at Mr. Peterson? Olivia hoped he really was related to the owners. He'd pretty much have to be to get away with what he had just done.

"I'm sorry I raised my voice. Look, I'll come clean and say that yes, she was going to hit me. She had her arm cocked back and was about to let it fly."

Mr. Peterson's arm lifted angrily once more, and he pointed to the door without saying a word.

"Calm down! Do you want to hear the entire story so you can make your judgement rationally?" Fitz asked. This guy was wound a little too tightly.

Taking a deep breath, Mr. Peterson nodded.

"The truth is, I was flirting with her a little bit." Fitz admitted.

Mr. Peterson, Abby, and Olivia all stared back at Fitz with confused wide eyes.

He chuckled lightly. "What? Is it so hard to believe that a guy would flirt with her? Look at her. She's gorgeous."

Olivia felt the heat of embarrassment creep up her face. She wondered why he was piling on the compliments. It hadn't seemed like he was flirting with her earlier. Thinking on their conversation now though, it seemed like maybe he could have been? A relationship was the last thing on her mind at this point in her life.

Still, he had called her gorgeous. No man had ever called her that before, unless they wanted something in return. Olivia wasn't sure what exactly it was that he wanted, but she assumed it was the same thing every other guy wanted from her. She didn't know how to tell him that was not an option, no matter how good looking he was. She didn't quite know how to process all the thoughts running through her mind. Her first priority was her job.

Fitz ran a hand through his curly hair before he continued. "Anyways, we got to laughing and I made a comment about her laughing like a hyena. That was when she pulled her hand back to hit me. It's not like she was gonna lay me out on the floor with a Mike Tyson punch. She weighs like eighty pounds soaking wet. A bee sting would have hurt worse."

"I'll have you know that I could have very well..." Olivia began.

Fitz leaned closer to her and whispered through a grin. "I'm trying to save your job here. You're not exactly helping matters. Stop talking."

She clamped her lips tightly together. To keep from talking and to keep the stupid grin contained that threatened to split her face in half.

Mark looked from Olivia to Fitz and then back to Olivia. Realizing that whatever either one of them said would be to protect her job and probably not the entire truth, he turned his narrowed eyes to Abby. "Miss Wheelan. Is that what happened? The whole truth?"

Abby could have lied. She could have said pretty much anything different and it would have resulted in Olivia losing her job. But Abby prided herself on her instincts when it came to people, and her instincts told her that Olivia was a good person with a good heart. She stuck with that, even if it cost her her job. "Yes, Sir. That is exactly what happened. Mr. Grant apologized and tried to tell me it was his fault. As the trainer in charge of Olivia, I knew that striking a guest was grounds for termination and when I mentioned that to him, Mr. Grant became upset and wanted to make things right. She honestly was just reacting to his humor. It was a very typical human reaction to what was meant to be a comical insult."

"See." Fitz said. "Thank you for that, Miss Wheelan."

"I'm too old to be Miss Wheelan. My name is Abby." she told him sassily.

"You don't correct a guest! Ever!" Mr. Peterson said incredulously.

Fitz chuckled and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Abby."

"Back atcha, Mr. Grant." she said, grinning.

"Can we drop this thing now?" Fitz asked their boss.

"I'm afraid not. While I understand the reasons behind what happened earlier, actions have consequences. I cannot, in good conscience, let this go without some form of reprimand to the two of you."

"But I..." Abby began.

Mark simply raised his eyebrows at her, and she quieted. "Both of you will be suspended from work for the next two days. You will also be moved to maid service for two weeks upon your return on Monday morning. It will be probationary and at the end of the two weeks, you will both be evaluated by your superior. If she isn't pleased with your performance, you will be terminated. If she is...Well then, we will revisit the possibility of putting you both back at the check in desk. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" Olivia exclaimed, and without thinking, hugged her boss. When she realized what she had just done, she immediately pulled away from him and covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"You're going to be a handful aren't you, Miss Pope?" Mark asked.

She weighed how to best answer the question. Sticking with the vein of honesty, she said, "Yea. Probably."

Abby grinned at Olivia. She knew her instincts were right. Going for broke she said, "Hey. Since the two of us are off for the next two days, would you like to go to that shoe store tomorrow that I mentioned to you at the start of your shift? Unless you happen to have some ugly maid shoes lying around in the bottom of your closet?"

"What is it with girls and shoes?" Fitz asked to no one in particular.

Olivia smiled at Fitz over his comment and then gave Abby her full attention. "That would be really great, Abby. Thanks." Both of them had been dismissed until Monday morning at seven a.m.

She had to admit that she wasn't looking forward to cleaning hotel rooms, but as she slid on the comfortable ugly shoes, as Abby called them, Olivia somehow had a good feeling about it. It was a chance to start over. To do better. To learn a different department in the hotel and gain an appreciation for the people who do the job every single day. She was...excited.

The hotel was within walking distance from her apartment, so she grabbed her purse, locked the front door, and headed to work. It was another nice day with bright sunshine and that great beachy breeze. Olivia took several deep breaths, enjoying the clean air. She arrived to work in no time and found Abby putting her stuff into her locker. "Good morning."

"Yea. Whatever." The redhead said on a yawn. "It's too early for this."

"Maybe." Olivia conceded. "But I have a feeling my feet won't be hurting before my shift ends. Thanks for taking me to that amazing shoe store."

"Remind me to show you where the amazing purse store is." Abby said grinning.

"NO! I need to be saving my money. Bags are my weakness and I don't need any encouragement to buy more of them." Olivia informed her new friend.

Abby slammed the small metal locker door closed. "We have five minutes to get to our new boss' office. Let's go."

The two of them rode the service elevator down to the ground level and silently made their way to the office of the housekeeping supervisor. Before they could even give their names, she put her hands on her hips and scowled at them. "I know who you are. You two are the ones who hit a hotel guest."

"To be fair, we didn't..." Abby began.

"Uh uh!" The woman said, waging her finger at them. "I don't care about the particulars. You are down here because you couldn't handle things up there. First things first. My name is Kelly and I'm your new boss. Now I know that you were told you'd be working together, but I don't like that idea. The two of you will be split up and have a partner who can keep an eye on you."

"Yes, ma'am." Olivia mumbled.

"Now. Which one of you is Abby?" she asked. When the redhead lifted a hand, their new boss continued. "I know that neither one of you has ever worked as a maid before, so I teamed you up with someone who has been at it for a while. You will work with Lori. She's been a maid for three years and she's very knowledgeable."

Looking at Olivia she said, "You will work with Yvonne. She is loud and crazy but she gets the job done."

Abby leaned closer to Olivia and whispered, "I didn't get a back story on my partner."

Olivia tried not to giggle but was losing the battle.

"Hey! What's so funny? The way I hear it, this is your last chance to keep your jobs. You might want to take this a little more seriously."

Both girls stopped laughing and stood a little straighter.

"And don't forget that I will be giving you a job performance review at the end of next week. So, if I was you, I'd be going out of my way to impress my boss." She reminded them. "You're not off to a great start now that you're five minutes late. Now, your shift starts at seven each morning and ends at four. In that time, we like to get between ten and fifteen rooms cleaned. That's your goal. Questions?"

Olivia raised her hand. "What about our lunch break?"

"You get forty minutes for lunch. You can order something from the cook who does room service for free or you can bring your lunch. Or, you can leave the hotel to go and grab something. But you clock out before you leave and clock back in when you start back to work. Nobody does it for you, under no circumstances. Understood?"

Both girls nodded.

"Good. I'll take you to your partners because they got started on time instead of having to listen to my spiel. Tomorrow morning you will show up here about five minutes before your shifts starts, meet up with your partners, and get started."

Yvonne turned out to be hilarious. She said what was on her mind, without restriction, and Olivia admired that about her. If she had been a little more vocal, she might not be in the situation she was currently in. Instead of dwelling on the negative, she enjoyed a productive morning of gathering dirty towels and bedding, setting out new tiny shampoos and lotions, as well as sweeping floors.

It felt good to do physical labor instead of typing on a keyboard. Olivia wouldn't go so far as to say she would miss cleaning rooms when she was back upstairs doing check ins, but this made the time go by much faster. These were the menial chores her mother made her help her with as a child. She had thought of little other than her mother all morning and decided that she would call her when she got home.

Late afternoon came quicker than Olivia could imagine. She was coming from an empty room to grab the complimentary shampoo and lotion to take back inside when she collided into the side of someone walking by. Caught off guard, she took a step backwards and began apologizing profusely. And then she noticed who it was.

Standing there with a grin on his face was none other than Mr. Grant. "You just keep causing problems for me, don't you?"

"I owed you a hit. I thought I'd get creative with how I dished it out." she replied with a grin of her own.

"Nice comeback." He peered over her shoulder into the empty room. "How's the maid gig working out for ya?"

"It has it's perks. And believe it or not I'm enjoying myself." she admitted.

"Wow. I could put in a good word for you to stay at this position if you like? I do have some pull with the owner."

His grin had turned lopsided and Olivia decided she liked it that way best. "You've done enough for me as it is, thank you very much. I think I'll be okay."

"Ouch!" Fitz chuckled at her before looking down the hall and then in the opposite direction. "Can you take a little break right now?"

"I really shouldn't" she said.

Yvonne walked up to them and said, "Hey. How are we doing?"

"Hey. I'm Mr. Grant, but people call me Fitz."

"I should get back to work now." Olivia told him.

"Are you trying to break the world record or somethin'?" Yvonne asked her. "We've cleaned fourteen rooms already."

"Really?" Olivia asked with a smile. "That went fast. Of course, the company was great and that helped too."

"Watch her. She's a charmer." Yvonne told Fitz.

"Oh, I am well aware of her charm." he chuckled. Feeling brave he added, "I was just asking her if she could take a five minute break. I don't want to get her into trouble or anything though."

"I was about to suggest a break myself. I need something to drink. I'll meet you back up here in ten minutes, okay?" Yvonne said winking.

After she left, Olivia and Fitz started walking down the narrow hall on the outside of the hotel. They found themselves on the back side of it. Looking down at the ocean, she leaned against the railing and sighed. "It's so nice here."

"Yea, It's not bad. Have you lived here all your life?" he asked, leaning against it beside her.

She had to decide what she was going to tell people. He would be gone in a week and it wouldn't matter what he knew. Partial truths wouldn't hurt anything she determined. "I just moved here a few weeks ago."

"Oh really? So, you are seeing everything through the eyes of a happy tourist?" he teased.

"Not really. I grew up in a beach town like this one."

"Oh, nice." He turned his attention back out at the vast ocean in front of them. Feeling brave he said, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

Olivia tensed up. What could he possibly want to know about her? What if he asked something that she didn't want to respond to? A million things flooded her mind, making her feel anxious and nervous and weary all at the same time. Stop it, she chided herself. Swallowing hard she looked at him and said, "you can ask whatever you want, but I may not answer you."

"That's fair." he replied. He looked into her eyes, searching for something. He didn't really know what. They seemed a lot like the ocean even if they weren't the same color. Her eyes were full of mystery, and not quite ready to reveal all of the secrets buried deep down. He touched her arm and watched her flinch in reaction. Ignoring it, he went with an easy question. "How old are you?"

Relax, she told herself. He's touching your arm, not grabbing your boob. Mustering up a smile Olivia said, "twenty-four."

Her voice was soft and sweet and almost as addicting as her feminine laugh. God, he wanted to kiss her. "Great age" he breathed out. He watched the wind whip her hair around for a few minutes, making him anxious to run his fingers through it. "I'm thirty."

"I...didn't ask." she replied with a grin and looked at his lips. What was it about older guys?

"You were wondering." he stated confidently, and kept his eyes locked on her lips.

"Oh yea?" Now this was flirting with someone!

He licked his lips and started slowly leaning his head in her direction. He had to kiss her. Waiting was not possible. "MmmHmm."

"I might have wondered." she murmured as she watched his head continue to move closer to hers. He was about to kiss her. She decided not to overthink it, but to just go with it.

He gently cupped her cheek and caressed the soft skin under her eye. She seemed comfortable with him doing that. Just like she seemed to understand that he was about to kiss her. Leaning even closer, his lips hovering a breath above hers, he whispered, "mmmmmm, such a pretty girl."

Before his lips could get any closer to hers, the words he said sank into her brain. Olivia violently jerked her head back and with wide horrified eyes she stared at him. In a flash she was back in her ex's house hearing him say those two words Olivia never wanted anyone to ever say to her again. Her skin felt clammy. She felt ill.

He reached to touch her arm again, but Olivia pulled it to her chest as if it had been burned. "Olivia? Are you okay? What just happened?"

Her eyes wildly searched the hall behind him. She had to get away from him before she lost it right there. "I...I can't do this." Without explaining herself any further, she dashed past him and down the hall. She ran as fast as she could as tears streamed down her face, sure that he was catching up behind her wanting an explanation. She kept running, not sure of exactly where she was. Up ahead she saw one of the maid's carts and ran towards it as she tried to come up with a reason for the chaotic state she was in.

Familiar red hair exited a room and was at the cart picking up towels when Olivia spotted it. Abby turned around at the sound of her hurried footsteps and saw Olivia wildly running towards her. She held out her arms with a concerned expression on her face and Olivia flew into them, sobbing uncontrollably. "Liv? What's the matter? What just happened?"

Olivia didn't answer. She clung to Abby like a life line and cried harder than she had ever cried before. After a minute, she felt Abby's hand running down her hair repeatedly as she held her close and chanted "shhhhh, shhhhh, shhhhh." It was the most comforted she had felt in a really long time.


	4. Appointments and Airplanes

**Appointments and Airplanes**

The recliner silently rocked back and forth with the aid of Olivia's feet on the floor. She hadn't slept well the night before because her brain had played what had happened between her and Fitz the day before on a constant loop. She felt more like an idiot with every replay.

She had gotten up early to do some thinking. Olivia had to figure out what she would do if she ran into him today. He would want an explanation. For her freezing up right as he was about to kiss her, for running away, for crying like a baby, and for refusing to talk to him.

Abby had brought her home once their shift ended and asked a million questions about what had happened. Olivia hadn't been able to talk about it last night but promised to talk to her in the morning if Abby wanted to come by early enough. Abby promised to be at Liv's an hour before their shift started to give them plenty of time to talk. She said she'd bring breakfast too.

Olivia was grateful to Abby for being such a good friend. The only one Olivia had at the moment. As she sat there still coming up blank about how to explain her actions to Fitz, a knock sounded on her door. Abby had great timing.

Opening the door, Olivia smiled at her friend and chirped, "good morning".

A small white box with orange and pink lettering was in the redhead's hand. "I got an assortment of munchkins. I went with those instead of regular donuts because there are less calories in these. Smart huh? Are you picky about your donuts by the way?"

"Not at all. I love munchkins! They are the perfect size. You are my hero! I made coffee about ten minutes ago. Do you drink it? Or are you fancy and drink cappuccinos and lattes or something snobby like that?"

"I'm a hotel maid at this point in my life. There is nothing fancy about that. Tell me where the mugs are, and I'll pour us both a cup while you start talking."

Olivia pointed to a cabinet where her only two coffee cups sat. If she was going to have Abby over more often, she might need to invest in a few more. She grabbed a handful of the donut holes and went back to her recliner. "Let me start by saying I'm really sorry for running into you and acting like a little kid. I'm sure it caught you off guard. Maybe even freaked you out some?"

Abby passed Olivia her coffee and sat down on the used loveseat. She shrugged and then took a sip from her own mug. "It didn't freak me out. I just thought you had gotten hurt or something terrible had happened."

"It was Fitz. I mean...Mr. Grant." she was getting worked up again trying to keep up with the formalities.

Abby held up her hand and said, "relax. We aren't at work. You can call him asshole if it makes you feel better?"

Olivia chuckled. "No. That wouldn't be right. He's actually a good guy. He just...said the wrong thing to me yesterday and I panicked."

"I'm confused. Start from the beginning. And talk slow so I can eat a lot of donuts." Abby told her and tucked her feet underneath her body.

"Towards the end of my shift yesterday, I ran into Fitz. Literally. We collided in the hall. It was kinda funny. Anyways, we started talking and he asked my partner...who is crazy as hell by the way! And hilarious and really sweet."

The redhead shot a glare at Olivia as she chewed a mouthful of the tiny fried circles.

"Sorry. That's off topic. Anyways, Fitz asked Yvonne if I could take a break. She said she wanted a break too and left to go find something to drink. I went for a walk with Fitz. He started asking the typical kind of questions that people who are trying to get to know each other talk about. How long have you lived here? How old are you? Bla bla bla. He..."

"Wait!" Abby interrupted. "Did he tell you how old he is?"

"Yea." Olivia said quietly. "He's thirty."

"He's hot for thirty." Abby remarked with a grin.

"I thought you wanted me to tell you the story so you could eat?" Olivia asked sarcastically.

"It would help if you told an interesting story. So far, I haven't heard anything to make you run screaming for the hills. Did he bore you to death or what?"

"Shut up and eat your donuts, Abby." Olivia warned.

"Fine, but make it worth my time, bitch." Abby laughed.

"He was being awfully cute, flirting with me. And then he tried to kiss me."

Abby coughed and sputtered. Coffee and bits of donut went flying out of her mouth and onto the floor. She hacked and tried to pull air into her lungs just as anxiously as she tried to talk. Her eyes were wild as Olivia went to the love seat and began pounding her on the back. Finally, after she got herself under control words came out of her mouth. "He kissed you?! Why didn't you lead with that instead of all that boring crap?"

Olivia shook her head back and forth. "I didn't say he kissed me. I said he tried to kiss me. He wasn't successful though."

"Why in the hell couldn't you have let him be successful? And why would you run away from that gorgeous specimen of a man instead of happily sticking your tongue down his throat? Are you a nun in training or something?"

Now she did laugh. "It's not that simple, Abby."

"Well, it's not exactly difficult either, Liv."

"Yea. It is. There are things that you don't know about. Things that..." Olivia began.

"Like what? Are you hiding a deep dark secret or something?" Abby teased. Olivia clamped her lips together and Abby narrowed her eyes on her. "Wait! You do have a secret? What is it? You have to tell me. Is it something big?"

"Well...not exactly. Not right now anyways. It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters. You should talk to him and get everything straightened out. And THEN let him stick his tongue down your throat. Believe me, you'll feel much better afterwards."

"The idea of kissing him isn't what spooked me. I...wanted to kiss him." Olivia admitted shyly.

Abby squinted at Olivia. "You aren't making any sense! Why didn't you let him kiss you if you wanted him to?"

"Because he called me pretty girl and I just shut down."

"A guy calls you pretty and that's what freaked you out? I think I need more information here!"

"My ex used to call me pretty girl. It was his pet name for me. You know, instead of honey or babe or whatever."

"Yea. So?"

"So, Fitz called me that right before he attempted to kiss me."

"I'm still lost!" Abby exclaimed. "Do you miss your ex? Hearing Fitz call you your old pet name bring up feelings for the other guy?"

"NO! I don't miss him at all. I don't want anything to do with him ever again! And I definitely don't want anyone to call me...those two words!"

"So just tell Fitz that, Liv! He'll understand. It's not that big of a deal!"

"Abby, it's a very big deal. I'm pregnant."

That stopped the mind numbing game of twenty questions immediately. "Oh."

"Yea. Oh. The baby is my exes and he gave me money to get rid of it. Instead, I took the money and moved here. He can't ever know that I decided to keep the baby or where I am. I don't want anything to do with him and I don't want my child to be around him either." Olivia told her in a determined voice.

Olivia stood up and began to pace. "Hearing Fitz call me that name just made me freak out. My ex treated me like a thing instead of a person. He was good to me when it came to material stuff and getting laid, but we didn't love each other. It was never gonna last. It wasn't meant to. I just...left sooner than I thought I would. Do you know what I'm saying?"

Abby stood up and went to Olivia. "Yea. I get it. You came here to start over basically. Somewhere no one knows you. That makes sense. But what about your parents? Are they still in the picture? Or did they kick you out when you told them about the baby?"

The expecting mom smiled softly. "No, it wasn't like that. I...Well, I haven't told them I'm pregnant yet. I'm pretty sure they would lose their minds. I was just trying to skip that part and break away on my own. I told them I have a great new job. I made it sound way more exciting than it is. But no one can know I'm pregnant, Abby. Seriously. At least not until I start showing. Please don't tell anyone!"

She pretended to think it over until a huge goofy smile covered her face. She put her arm around Olivia's shoulder. "So, if I'm the only person in the whole wide world that knows about the baby, can I be his or her godmother? Or...yanno...an aunt at least? I want a damn title!"

"I think we can work something out." Olivia replied with a smile. "Thanks for listening to me, Abs. I can't tell you how much better I feel for telling someone. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you have a baby bump yet? I wanna see it."

"There's no bump yet. But I'm sure it will start poking out any time now. Until that happens, I have a slightly more pressing issue to deal with. What do I tell Fitz? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to just let stuff go. He's gonna want to know why I ran away from him."

"Just tell him you thought his junk was really big and it scared you."

"Oh my god! Shut up, Abby! I'm not telling him that!" Olivia laughed.

"You don't have to tell him anything. Treat him respectfully, like any other guest if you see him. Other than that, try to avoid him. I'll help." Abby suggested.

"It should be a lot easier since we won't be stationed in one location for the rest of the week, like the check in desk. I can hide in an empty room if I have to when I see him coming."

"Now you're thinking. He's only got, what, three more days at the hotel? We can totally hide you from him until then."

"Yea! We got this!" Olivia stated confidently. "But just in case we don't got this, I'll call your cell and you can make up some excuse and come running to save me."

"Yea, I don't wanna do that." Abby said with a grimace.

"Any good aunt would do it." She said.

"Oh wow. You've got that mommy guilt down perfectly! Go get your uniform on because we need to get rolling to work. Our shift starts in fifteen minutes. Her majesty the psycho said we have to be at work five minutes before our shift starts to meet up with our partners." Abby pointed at Olivia's bedroom and put on a stern expression. "Go! We can't be late today. I am going to make it back to the check in desk!"

The two girls arrived three minutes early, but as luck would have it, they caught their partners just as they were heading down the hall to get started. The two girls quickly exited with their older partners and immediately engaged in conversation with them to avoid the housekeeping manager from reprimanding them for being tardy at being early.

The day was going great. The work was keeping Olivia busy and the great conversations she shared with Yvonne made her laugh and think. Most of all it made the day go by faster. She and Abby ate lunch together in one of the clean empty rooms, after a quick phone call to the front desk to make sure it stayed empty for the next forty minutes.

When it was time to clock out, both girls did so and left the hotel without any sign of Fitz. After Abby dropped her off at home, Olivia ran a bath and settled herself in the warm water. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the back of the tub and just enjoyed the quiet. As much as she liked working as a housekeeper at the hotel, she was loving the art of relaxing even more.

Dinner was a piece of leftover chicken and some macaroni and cheese. She wondered what an obstetrician would say about her meal choices lately. Probably nothing good. Knowing she had put it off long enough, Olivia grabbed her phone and searched for obstetricians in the area. She wasn't completely familiar with a lot of the roads nearby yet, but one doctor's name stood out among the rest. Marie. It was her mother's name. She wrote down the office number and address. She'd make an appointment tomorrow on her lunch break.

Olivia hadn't seen Fitz all week, and she was regretting it some. Part of her had hoped they would spot each other at some point before he left and have a conversation. It didn't seem like that was in the cards for them though. She kept her head up and kept busy with her duties trying to not allow herself to wallow in her feelings.

She had her first obstetrician appointment on Friday, her only day off. She was nervous about it since she had no idea what to expect but she was also anxious to find a doctor and get some care for her as well as her unborn baby. Abby said she would go with her as soon as the two of them picked up their checks from the hotel Friday afternoon. After the appointment Abby was going to stay overnight with Olivia and they were going to watch movies all day Saturday. It was the perfect plan for a rainy day.

Friday rolled around and after sleeping late and grabbing something to eat, Abby and Olivia headed to the hotel to get their checks. They spent a few minutes talking to a few other girls who were working at the check in desk before heading to Mark's office. The two of them were discussing what kind of movies to get later on when Abby's eyes grew wide and she muttered, "oh shit!" before grabbing onto Olivia's arm.

"What's the matter?" Olivia asked. She turned her head to see what had caused the redhead to exclaim curse words. Fitz was in Mark's office shaking his hand and nodding. He must have heard Abby's voice because he dropped Mark's hand and began walking towards the two young women.

"Come on." Abby said, and tugged on Olivia's arm.

Olivia stayed in place; her eyes locked with Fitz's baby blues. "It's okay, Abby. I need to talk to him sooner or later. I thought he had already left though."

"Apparently not." Abby replied, and looked over at him too. Fitz was turning the doorknob on the glass door. "Are you sure you want to talk to him? You don't have to."

"I'd feel better if I settled things with him before he left."

Fitz opened the door and was standing in front of them. He didn't even acknowledge Abby. He had eyes only for Olivia. He stuck his hands in the pocket of his jeans, smiled at her, and said, "hi."

"Hi" Olivia replied nervously. "Can you give us a minute please, Abby?"

"Sure. I'll go grab our checks and talk to Mark for a while." Abby told them. But they weren't even aware that she was standing there. She rolled her eyes and walked away.

Olivia turned her attention back to Fitz. His voice sounded better than she remembered. He looked really good in jeans and a blue polo. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. I was hoping I'd find you before I left. I've been looking for you ever since Monday." he informed her.

Olivia's eyebrows sunk low on her forehead as confusion filled her mind. He had been looking for her for four days? "You've been looking for me? Really? I guess I've been doing a really good job at avoiding you."

"Why would you avoid me? I've been looking for you so that we could talk. We need to discuss some things don't you think?" She looked beautiful in a pair of peach shorts and a white eyelet top. "Is today your day off work?"

"Yea. Abby and I came to pick up our paychecks and then we have some errands to take care of." Olivia told him.

"Oh. I've already checked out of my room. I was just giving a message to Mr. Peterson to give to you the next time he sees you."

"What's the message?" she asked.

He showed her a business card. "This is my card. It has my cell and work numbers on it. I'd like for you to keep in touch with me if that's okay?"

"You don't even know me. Why would you want to keep in touch with me?"

"I know a few things about you. The things you told me on Monday. But there are a lot more things I don't know, and I'd like to get to know you better." he shrugged. "What do you think?"

Olivia went to take the small card from his fingers, but Fitz pulled it out of her reach. "I'd like to know what happened on Monday first. Why'd you run?"

"Liv? We've got to go." Abby interrupted as she exited out of their bosses office.

"Can we please have five minutes alone, Abby?" Fitz asked in as pleasant a tone as he could muster.

"We have an appointment to keep and we can't be late." She told him and stepped away.

"Thanks, Abby." Olivia knew they were running out of time. She glanced at her watch. Her obstetrician appointment was in twenty five minutes and it took fifteen to get there.

Looking back at Fitz, she knew there was no question over the fact that she owed him an apology. "I'm sorry about what happened on Monday. And I'm sorry that we don't seem to have a lot of time to talk about it like you wanted."

"Just tell me why you ran away from me. It was just a kiss and nothing worth panicking over. Was it too much too fast?" he asked. He really wanted to know what he'd done wrong so he could fix it.

"Liv!" Abby exclaimed. "We've gotta get moving."

Olivia sighed in frustration at her time keeper. "Two minutes, Abs!"

"You didn't move too fast, Fitz." She told him. "I wanted you to kiss me. It was the perfect moment with the perfect backdrop. It was...romantic."

"Then why did you run?" He quietly asked. He didn't understand, but he desperately wanted to.

"It wasn't what you did. It was what you said."

"Olivia! We need to move now, or you'll be late to that very important appointment you made. You remember. The very important one?" Abby grabbed Olivia's hand and started walking towards the door, pulling her friend behind her. Olivia snatched the card from between his fingers before they got too far.

"Wait!" Fitz yelled. "What did I say that was so wrong that it caused you to run away from me and avoid seeing me for four days? I think I deserve to know so I won't ever say it again."

Olivia was well away from him by now. She knew Abby was doing the right thing by making her leave so she could stick to her appointment. She couldn't miss it. She was already screwing up so many other things, Olivia was not going to screw up things for her unborn baby. "I'm sorry." she yelled back, before she and Abby disappeared out of the building.

Fitz was left standing there alone trying to remember anything he had said to her in the moments leading up to the kiss. He had a four hour flight ahead of him as he headed back home. He would undoubtedly be thinking of anything other than when he leaned in to kiss Olivia on Monday. Once he was back in California his father would have him back to work and all of his free time would evaporate. He'd have to come up with the answer on the plane. As he pulled his suitcase towards the hotel doors to catch a cab to the airport, Fitz realized that he hadn't gotten Olivia's phone number. He was left at her mercy to contact him. He looked up, hoping to see her even though he knew she was long gone by now. He hoped she would reach out.


	5. What If

**What If**

Fitz was in his office in downtown Los Angeles wasting time by quietly looking out one of the large picture windows. He liked looking out windows and could easily lose track of time when doing so. There was something therapeutic to Fitz about standing perfectly still for a few moments and watching the world continue to bustle with activity all around you. It was calming to him somehow. Almost everyone else in the building had already gone home for the night, but not Fitz. He still had a few hours left to work on the file currently taking up space on his desk. The file he was doing his best to avoid.

It was almost six o'clock on a Thursday night and the city outside was still very active. As he looked at buildings of all shapes and sizes, he wished the view before him was the calming sight of the vast blue ocean. And while he could see hundreds of people out there moving in hundreds of different directions, Fitz wished he could see one person in particular. He would gladly trade his suit and tie for a pair of shorts and an old gray t-shirt.

It hadn't even been a full week since he had left the calming small beach town on the east coast and Fitz was already a mess over a female he had only spoken to a handful of times. He wondered what Olivia was doing right now. He glanced down at his watch and mentally did the math. It was ten o'clock where she was. He wondered if she was working at the hotel tonight? Fitz had no doubts that Olivia had been restored to her job at the check in desk. He could picture her back behind the large desk wearing black dress pants and a blue button up shirt. It was what she had been wearing the first time he had seen her.

He looked over his shoulder to the phone on his desk. He had caught himself looking at it quite a few times over the course of the last few days. He had hoped that at some point it would ring and the voice on the other end of the line would belong to none other than Olivia herself. He had been anxiously answering every call in an overly chipper voice ever since he'd gone back to work but she hadn't called yet. Thinking about it had him pulling his cell phone from his pants pocket and looking at the face of it. No missed calls there either. He checked the sound button on the left side of the device to make sure, for the millionth time, that it was on. Naturally it was. He dropped it back into his pocket and wondered what she was waiting for?

It had been stupid to give her his number and not ask for hers in return. That situation gave Olivia all the power and Fitz wasn't comfortable not having some kind of power in every situation. It was why he was so desperate to find out why she had run from him that day he had tried to kiss her. The not knowing had gnawed at his insides ever since it had happened. Not having her contact information made it too easy for her to decide not to call him and forget about him entirely. He wasn't ready for that and he had no idea why.

As he stood there, looking out at the beautiful blue sky once again, Fitz recalled with perfect clarity what Olivia's voice sounded like. The two of them had only shared a few short conversations, but each one was tucked safely into his memory for him to pluck out and sift over once again. Olivia's voice was soft and feminine, with a hint of sarcasm mixed in at times. He remembered that she had a great laugh that was perfectly suited for her fun sense of humor. A smile crossed his own face at the thought of him telling her she laughed like a hyena the same day he met her. The comment had made her laugh even harder and had been worth saying. Of course that had also led to all sorts of trouble for her too.

When she was scared, she tried awfully hard to act like she wasn't and put on a brave face for others to see. Fitz recalled the look on Olivia's face when she and Abby had their meeting with him and Mark. She briefly looked terrified that she was going to lose her job before she hid the expression perfectly. He wondered what made her think she had to be brave all the time?

Had she experienced something particularly painful in her past? Fitz wondered if someone had mentally or physically hurt her? That was not a path Fitz wanted to venture down, and he purposefully shut those thoughts down for now. Maybe Olivia had lost someone who meant a lot to her and that was the reason for her steely determination? He realized that it could be anything and his guessing would be counter productive. If he got the chance, he decided that he would ask her about it.

He was shaking his head as he recalled that not long after he had met Olivia, he had tried to kiss her. Fitz had been chastising himself for days over trying to kiss her that day on the hotel balcony. He had been such an idiot to push things that fast with her. He hadn't even known her. Still didn't, he reminded himself. He had thought she was beautiful when he stepped up to the registration desk to check in. Fitz had wanted to kiss her ever since the moment she said good afternoon to him.

Pursuing women wasn't something that Fitzgerald Grant did. Part of the reason for that was because of who he was. Women tended to throw themselves at him when they found out who he was and what he was worth. Fitz had never been interested in easy conquests. Life would have been so much easier if he was. But he continually saw the result of that particular lifestyle choice when he thought about his cousin Stephen.

Stephen was a womanizer who had a different female on his arm practically every week but who was also very often lonely and longed for a constant companion. During a guy's trip to the Caribbean a year ago, Stephen had admitted to Fitz that he was merely living up to his reputation at this point in life, but that he wanted more. He wanted to get serious and settle down with one woman. He just didn't know how to make the merry go round of his wild and crazy lifestyle stop. Fitz was glad he had never chosen to live his life the way Stephen had.

Another part of the reason was he never pursued women was that Fitz felt awkward around women. Like he didn't know what he was doing, and everything he said or did was wrong. He was confident in every other aspect of his life except that one. Even though he had only been around Olivia for a few days he had never felt any of that. Not even once. Things felt natural and easy with her and Fitz had never experienced that with another woman. He wanted to be around her more often to see if she felt that way too. And then he found out that she had been avoiding him.

Why had he ruined everything by attempting to kiss her?

Olivia said it wasn't the kiss that had upset her so much. It was what he had said before he tried it. He remembered sitting on the plane ride to California and trying desperately to remember what it was that he had said that had set her off. He had thought about it countless times and Fitz came up with nothing that would be anything to make Olivia seize up and fear him. He wondered if she had been mistaken in what she thought he had said?

They had discussed her age and his, how long she had lived in town, and then Fitz had leaned down and tried to kiss her. He remembered saying something about her being beautiful before he brought his lips closer to hers. And then...Wham! Her gorgeous brown eyes practically doubled in size, and she freaked out and ran away from him. So much for not feeling awkward around her.

He still didn't know what he had said that was wrong. When his eyes fell back on the phone sitting on his desk, Fitz guessed he might never know what it was either. He could call the hotel and see if she was working. Or ask Mark for her number. But he was trying to wait her out and see if Olivia would end up calling him. He'd give her another week and then he would come up with a plan of his own to talk to her.

As his eyes watched a plane flying overhead, Fitz again wondered what Olivia was up to right now. Was she busy at work checking in guests? Or maybe she had enjoyed a day off by going to the beach? Maybe she'd had a date with someone her own age? He didn't like that idea and quickly shoved it out of his mind. Maybe she was already in bed, sleeping peacefully after a busy day of doing something with Abby? Maybe she was sitting outside of her house drinking something cold in the warm night air as she waited for the nail polish on her toes to dry? He sighed, angry at himself for being so pathetic, and got back to work.

It was weird not having to poke her head around corners at the hotel in an attempt to hide from Fitz. He had gone back home, and everything at work was as it had been before she met him. Olivia and Abby had received high praise from the housekeeping manager after their two week trial demotion was over. It didn't hurt that the two girls had bought her a purse and claimed it was a thank you for teaching them another aspect of the hotel. In reality it had been a bribe and all three of them knew it.

Olivia was working the guest registration desk tonight until ten thirty. Abby had the night off and the boredom was at an all time high. It was a Thursday night and the place was dead, which was why her thoughts were scattered. She only had thirty minutes left of her shift and then she was going home to pass out for ten solid hours. She had a lazy day at the beach planned for her day off tomorrow and the thought of sleeping in was almost as exciting as being in the water again.

She glanced around the lobby to make sure no one was watching her. When she saw that the coast was clear, she pulled the business card from the pocket of her black dress pants and looked at it for the millionth time. It was the one she had taken from Fitz before Abby had dragged her away from him the other day. She kept it on her at all times. She wasn't sure what she thought of the idea of calling Fitz, but she liked knowing she had his contact information if she needed it.

The edges of the card were already a little worn from her fingers constantly touching it. She flipped it over in her hand a few times as she examined it. Looking at the face of it once more, Olivia read the information she had already committed to memory a few days ago. She ran her thumb across the embossed simple black lettering of his name as visions of his handsome face floated through her mind.

Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III

Even his name was sexy.

Olivia wished she had spent more time with him before he had left. She didn't really know very much about him other than his name was Fitz. His business card told her that he lived in California as well as provided her with his contact information. She rolled her eyes at the thought of how she had purposefully avoided him for four days. She should have just talked things over with him like an adult, explaining exactly what it was that he had said that had bothered her so much, and why, and then moved on from there. They could have at least parted as friends. Now she didn't really know him at all and wished she did.

There was no reason to call him at this point. He wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon, especially since he had just left. He lived in California and she lived in Florida. It wouldn't be long until Olivia wouldn't be living by herself anymore anyways. She would have someone in her life who took precedence above anyone else. Including herself. She wouldn't have time to think about what could have happened with handsome strangers. There were thousands of miles between them and it was probably for the best. It was pointless to imagine anything would be changing. Olivia slid the card back into her pocket and got busy.

Somewhere in the middle of her busyness of wiping down the counter two minutes later, his gorgeous smile creeped into her mind. It brought a smile to her own lips to imagine his perfectly straight white teeth, which led to thoughts of his mouth. Before she knew what she was doing, Olivia had propped her elbow on top of the spotless counter and was resting her head on her fist. Their almost kiss played like a short movie in her mind.

She remembered staring at his lips while they talked about her age and wishing that he would kiss her. The moment he had licked his lips Olivia had been a goner. She recalled her lips being centimeters away from his. His breath had been minty and the way he had flirted with her before he tried to touch lips with her had put Olivia completely at ease. It had been very natural and comfortable.

He had looked at her intently, flexing his jaw over and over - probably from being nervous. She remembered the feel of his large hand on her cheek. His palm had been smooth instead of calloused, which made Olivia think that whatever Fitz did for a living it wasn't physical labor. He probably had an office job somewhere. Or he just enjoyed a life of leisure as the family money from the hotels rolled in.

And then he had said those two words that had ruined the moment and made Olivia's heart pound out of her chest. She remembered feeling physically ill, to the point of nausea. As much as she wanted to stay with Fitz and experience what it would be like for him to kiss her, Olivia had to get away from him. From those two words and the memories that came with them. She groaned out loud at the thought of running away from him as if he were the boogey man. He probably thought she was an idiot. She still hadn't gotten to explain anything to him on his last day at the hotel either because she couldn't be late for her first obstetrician appointment.

Abby had insisted that Olivia take a few days to think things over before she called Fitz. The redhead reminded her that he was gone, in another state, and there wasn't any reason to rush about contacting him. She also pointed out that Olivia had to put herself and her baby first for a while now. Based on what Olivia's obstetrician had said at her first appointment, it was sound advice.

Fitz's handsome face faded some as Olivia sighed loudly and resumed her dusting. She should forget men and just focus on herself until her baby was born. Once word that she is pregnant gets around no one was going to want anything to do with her, much less date her. The timing on Fitz's departure seemed like good timing to let all thoughts of him go and focus on her future with the baby. Her hands protectively went to her belly and Olivia slowly and soothingly drew circles on it with her thumbs. She'd be showing soon.

Her obstetrician said everything was perfect. The little bean was due the day before Thanksgiving. She did an ultrasound and Olivia saw her baby lying on his or her back relaxing safe inside her belly. The heartbeat was fast and sounded really weird to Olivia's ears. The reality of knowing a whole person was growing inside of her was enough to make her cry. The tears were happy ones and Olivia noticed that Abby was crying right along with her as she held her hand and looked at the black and white screen.

Abby and Olivia had had a rough start to their friendship, but there was something there. Something that made it seem like she had known Abby for years instead of a few weeks. They were completely comfortable with each other and spoke openly and honestly about everything. It made Olivia wonder if that was what life with a sister would have been like?

Speaking of Abby, Olivia squints at the front door as she sees red hair heading towards her. Abby walks up to the desk with a big smile on her face. "Hey. You about ready to go home?"

"Yea. I'm just finishing up with my cleaning before I go."

"Robert can do that. He will be dying for something to keep him awake all night. Won't ya Robert?"

Robert looks to be about ten years older than Abby or Olivia and he smiles at the two of them and said, "yea. Go ahead. I've got it."

"Really?" Olivia asks with a big smile. "Thanks, Robert. I owe you one."

The two girls head toward the backroom so Olivia can grab her purse from her locker. "What are you doing here anyways?"

She shrugs carelessly. "I didn't want you and the peanut walking home alone in the dark. It's not safe."

"Bean." Olivia corrects.

"What?" Abby asks with a crinkled face.

"I'm calling him or her a bean. Not a peanut."

"Same thing. I'm sure I'll have my own little nicknames for him or her once it's born anyways. It's nothing major, I just want you two to be safe." Abby explains.

"Awww, that's so sweet." Olivia puts her hand on her belly and asks, "Isn't that sweet of aunt Abby?"

"Shut up. Anyways, I had an idea. I don't know what you'll think of it. Probably that I'm a creeper or something, but I'm not. It's just an idea. Don't freak out."

"Are you gonna tell me what it is or should I guess?" Olivia asks sarcastically.

Olivia notices that Abby is fidgeting with her fingers. Whatever it is must have her scared to ask. She puts her hand on Abby's and smiles gently at her. "Hey, whatever it is you know I'll tell you the truth. Okay?"

The redhead smiles back. "Yea. So I was thinking. I live in my own little place and you live in your own little place. What if we put our money together and share a bigger place. Something big enough for the three of us. What do you think?"

Olivia couldn't talk. She felt like if she tried to speak, she would fall apart and end up a bawling puddle of tears right there in the breakroom. She turned around in the opposite direction and took a few steps. She took some deep breaths and fanned her face with her hands.

Abby watched her like a hawk and wondered if something was wrong.

Olivia looked over her shoulder at Abby and studied her face for a moment before asking, "what made you come up with that idea?"

Her thought process was weird, Abby thought to herself. "Because you are going to have a baby in November. That's after the summer is over and it's typically when the summer staff is let go because we don't have as many visitors to the hotel. You're gonna need help with the baby, and if you're one of the ones who is let go at the end of the summer, you're also gonna need to find another job to make ends meet. The two of us get along really well and I am gonna be a godmother or amazing aunt or something like that to this baby. I think we should get a place together and help each other out now."

"Have you thought about this, Abby? A baby cries. A lot! Are you going to be able to deal with that once he or she gets here? It'll screw up our sleep schedule as well as our awake schedule. I don't want to make you miserable and then I have to find another place to live with a newborn."

"That's why we need to move in together soon. That way the baby will hear my voice and get used to it now so it'll know who I am and not cry when he or she sees me. That's how that works, right?"

Olivia had no idea if that was right. "Ummmm, maybe? I want you to be sure that this is what you want, Abby. It's a big deal inviting a stranger to live with you."

"You're not a stranger. You're my best friend. I have thought about this, and I want to do it. But if you don't want to then I understand completely."

"This is crazy, but yes!" Abby shrieked and hugged Olivia tightly as the two of them jumped up and down together giddily. "And just so you know, you're my best friend too, Abs. You made me cry with your idea."

"Jeez. Get it together preggo." Abby said grinning. "We are both off tomorrow and I say we start looking for a place after we get up. I'd rather get going around seven, but I know you aren't morning people, so we can wait until eight thirty."

The two of them walked out the door and got into Abby's car as Olivia tried to politely tell her redheaded friend that she was not going to be available until at least eleven.

_This was a difficult chapter for me to write because it was just them with their thoughts. No conversation until the end. I prefer to read (and write) conversation than what's going on around my characters, but this is one of those chapters that I needed to write. Sometimes in the quiet moments, we learn more about ourselves. I think that's true of me as an author and for these 2 beloved characters in this story. I know it's been kinda dull reading with our favorite couple apart, but I felt it was necessary for them to realize that they miss each other. Next chapter will make up for the absence..._


	6. Stay

**Stay**

She had picked up the phone to call him multiple times already today. She had typed his number on her phone from memory and then stared at it until the screen began to fade from not being used. She never followed through with touching the green circle to connect with him though. It had been almost two weeks to the day since Fitz had left and gone back home. Olivia had talked herself into calling him innumerable times but chickened out at the last minute. She worried that he would think she was crazy when he found out who was calling him. Or that he had forgotten her and moved on with his life. She didn't want to deal with that kind of rejection. Her phone always ended up back in her pocket once again.

It had been a while since she had seen Fitz, and Olivia would have thought the absence would have made all thoughts of him diminish. But it had just made things worse. The old expression 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' fluttered through her mind. She wondered if whoever had written that had gone through something similar to what she was going through now?

She didn't have time to think on it any longer because she had to be at work in a half hour. Now that she and Abby had found a place to live together, they both had the unpleasant task of packing up their stuff. It was a little easier for Olivia since she hadn't fully unpacked from her move to the beach town in the first place.

Their new place was a two bedroom house. It was a little further away from the hotel than either one of them was currently living, but like Abby said, at the end of the summer they might not be working there anymore anyway so it didn't really matter. They both had fallen in love with it the moment they saw it and their squeals of joy as they raced from room to room probably made their new neighbors wonder about them moving in. They were due to start moving their stuff in to the new place on Friday night. The two girls hoped that the two days would go by quickly.

Olivia hung her purse up in her locker and closed the rectangular metal door with a bang. Abby's wide eyed smiling face was on the other side, startling Olivia. "Jeez, Abby. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Nah. I just wanted you to know that I got the keys to our new place!" She held them in front of Olivia and the two of them grinned like little kids. "The owner said we can start moving our stuff in tomorrow night instead of Friday. Isn't that great?"

"OHMYGAHHHH!" she yelled, and then clamped her lips together through an elated giggle. "I am so excited! This is gonna be absolutely amazing. I promise you I'm neat and will keep my things where they belong."

"Great. Because I'm kind of a hot mess. I leave my stuff everywhere. It'll be good to have a live in maid." Abby grinned.

"Yea, that's not gonna happen, Abs. You are my age and you're gonna learn to keep your stuff put up too. I am not living with a slob."

"Too late. We already signed a one year lease." Abby sang. "Now go to work before you get fired. We really can't afford you losing a job right now since the rent is due in a month."

"And you need to go to your apartment and get your shit packed up." Olivia stated. "We can't afford a moving service and I've already told you that I'm not doing stuff for you. So, go get on it!"

"That was mean. Go to work!" Abby called out to Olivia's retreating back.

"Go home and pack!" Olivia called out before disappearing around a corner.

The hotel was doing decent business for a Wednesday night. Olivia was kept busy checking guests in and answering the phone when checked in guests called down for minor questions or concerns. She had just come back from her fifteen minute break and had resumed her spot behind the check in desk. "I can help the next person in line" she said in a pleasant voice. She and her co-worker got the short line of waiting guests checked into the hotel in no time.

With the line gone, Olivia checked her phone. She had a text from Abby. It was a picture of her and a box that appeared to have been taped by a two year old. The text under it said, 'happy, bitch?' Olivia giggled as she looked at the one box her friend had completed in the midst of a room full of stuff that still needed to be packed up.

"What happened to the hyena laugh?" A familiar deep voice asked.

Olivia froze. That voice belonged to Fitz. She swallowed hard, grateful that her head was down and that he couldn't see her face. She was sure the look of shock on it would scare him back to California. She was also sure that he could hear her heart thumping out of her chest too. Knowing she looked like an idiot with her head still down, she dropped her phone into her pocket and looked up into the gorgeous blue eyes of Fitzgerald Grant III. He was giving her that lopsided grin she was so fond of, and it made her smile to see it now. "I had to get rid of it when I was reinstated at the registration desk. It was one of the demands of management."

"That's a damn shame. I loved that sound." he told her and propped his elbow on the counter comfortably and rested his chin on his palm. She looked just as beautiful as he remembered from two long grueling weeks ago. The desire to kiss her was back in full force and he had to force his eyes to concentrate on her beautiful brown ones instead of her lips. Coming here was the right decision, he mentally told himself for the hundredth time. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Miss me?"

He was flirting with her again. This time she was paying attention and enjoying it. A little bit. She wiped the smile from her face and replaced it with a polite expression. She cleared her throat and clasped her hands together before saying, "Sir? The last time you were here you caused quite a bit of trouble for me when I checked you into the hotel. I expect you to be on your best behavior this time."

Fitz made a face. "That doesn't sound like very much fun."

"When was the last time you had fun at work?" she asked.

"Good point." Someone had been brushing up on their check in skills. He was impressed. But enough was enough. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that no one was anywhere near them. "I came here to see you."

They were the words she had been waiting to hear from him but knew were usually only spoken in movies by the leading man to his leading lady. The romantic ones Olivia liked to watch on her days off. She kept an eye out for management, just in case, and tried not to smile like a lunatic knowing he had just said them to her. Telling herself to be sensible, she squared her shoulders and asked, "why?"

"Because I gave you my number, but you never called me with an explanation about what happened the last time I was here." Did she really not understand that he had been desperate to hear from her ever since he left? That he had thought of little else than the short scene that took place between them as he attempted to kiss her?

So, he hadn't forgotten about her. He still thought about her just like she still thought about him. That was a nice surprise. "I thought that was forgotten. It happened so long ago." She replied casually.

"It was thirteen days." He pointed out as his eyebrows fell. He was supposed to wait until tomorrow - the mark of it being two weeks ago, but he couldn't wait any longer and came to see her a little early. "Not that...you know...I was counting or anything."

He was just as anxious to talk to her as she had been to talk to him. The smile tugged and pulled at the corners of her mouth, but she kept it at bay a little longer. "Well, I'm sorry."

"That's it?" he asked with a touch of disappointment. "I didn't come all this way for an apology, Livvie."

Livvie? Where the hell had that come from? No one called her Livvie. It should have sounded foreign and wrong, but instead it sounded romantic and meaningful coming from that deep rich baritone voice. Stay focused, she reminded herself. You're at work. "Oh, so what did you come here for?"

"To talk to you. And not in this damned check in line. What time do you get off work?" he asked. He would pester her non stop and wouldn't leave until the two of them had the conversation he should have made her have with him before he left in the first place.

Olivia glanced at her watch. "I've got three more hours to go."

"Perfect. I've got to get settled in my room, eat some dinner, and make a few calls. You should be wrapping it up for the night by the time I'm done. Can I take you somewhere for a cup of coffee?"

"No. I've got a busy day tomorrow, followed by an even busier weekend." She watched his face deflate. He had traveled a long way to talk to her. The least she could do was be open with him and get it out of the way. Maybe then they could go their own separate ways and the lingering thoughts of him would finally leave her once and for all. "But we can talk in the lobby of the hotel. Or out on the beach if you want."

His face brightened. "That'll work. Are you gonna check me in now, or do I need to lodge a complaint against you?"

"Don't you dare!" she warned.

"Fine, but this time I'm staying until we have a conversation."

At ten twenty five Fitz found himself in the hotel lobby watching Olivia from a distance. He had been down here for ten minutes already. He couldn't wait to see her again and be near her and talk to her. They needed to clear the air between them. He was glad they were getting it out of the way on day one.

Of course, his father hadn't been too happy to receive the phone call with the flimsy explanation that he was back in Florida to look for space for expansion of the hotel. Fitz had heard the topic being discussed last week and he had wisely decided that it was the reason he would use for going back. Fitz claimed he was showing initiative, and he was. But not with the expansion idea. He'd look around tomorrow or the next day. Tonight, he was settling things with Liv.

As he distractedly mulled all of that over, Fitz was unaware that Olivia was watching him. She had clocked out and spotted him from the other side of the lobby after she got her purse from her locker. She began walking towards him. He looked just as handsome as she remembered. He had on a pair of khaki pants and a gray t-shirt. He appeared to be deep in thought and she wondered what it was that he was thinking so hard about. When she was just a few feet away from him he looked up and gave her a small smile. Her heart almost stopped beating.

He glanced at the watch on his left wrist and got to his feet. It was time to settle some things once and for all. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather go somewhere else to talk? Somewhere...you haven't just spent the last several hours already?"

"It's too late for coffee, but an ice cream would be nice." She replied with a grin.

"Ice cream it is!" Fitz declared. "Where is the closest ice cream parlor that stays open after ten?"

Olivia had to think about that for a minute. "Come on. I know just the place." She took his hand and led him outside. "It's close enough that we can walk."

His eyes flicked down to their joined hands as they stepped outside. He was not about to say anything to her about holding his hand. If she didn't care, he definitely didn't. He was thankful that she felt comfortable enough to take the initiative. It was fairly dark outside, and not any restaurant signs were lit up. There were a few random signs with lights, but that was it. "So, where is this place with late night ice cream service?" he asked.

"Just up ahead. It's nothing fancy, but the ice cream is fantastic."

"Fantastic ice cream works for me." he told her. "Were you going to walk home alone tonight? You know that's not safe, right?"

"I am an adult, thank you very much. And not that it's any of your business, but I don't walk home alone." It wasn't a lie. Technically, she was never truly alone anymore. Her little bean counted as a person.

"Well...good." He didn't like the sound of that! Who the hell was walking her home at night? Was she simply referring to Abby? Or did she had a boyfriend that he didn't know anything about? Since he was in the asking mood, he'd ask her about that one too!

"Here we are."

Fitz stopped abruptly and saw that they stood at a door. "What the hell is this place?"

"My apartment." she told him.

"Oh!" He grinned at the devious woman beside him. "Please tell me that you weren't lying about the ice cream."

"I never lie about ice cream."

"What flavors do you have?" he queried.

"Well, I ain't Baskin Robbins, but I have a coupla flavors to choose from." she informed him.

"Such as?" he patiently asked. "I don't go inside unless there's Chocolate Chip."

She gave him a strange little smile before she unlocked the door. "In that case..." When she turned back to him, she said, "please come in."

Fitz returned the smile and stepped inside. He looked around the tiny living room and noticed that she had several boxes up against the wall. "You still haven't unpacked yet?" he accused.

"Yes and no." she replied, throwing her keys on the coffee table.

"From the looks of it, I'd say it's more of a no." he replied with a chuckle.

"Well, I unpacked most of it, but then I packed it back up."

"Why?" he asked, confused.

"Because I'm moving. It's why I didn't hesitate to bring you here. The next time you come back I won't be living here so it won't matter." She grinned triumphantly at him.

'You already planning on my next visit?" His smile had turned into a smirk.

"What? No! That's...that's not what I meant." she stammered.

"It's okay. I know exactly what you meant." he told her. "I hope you're a better hostess the next time I'm in town."

"Why? What does that mean?"

"Well...I still don't have any ice cream." he shrugged.

"I haven't missed you." Olivia said dryly.

"Yes, you have." Fitz stated with confidence. "But that's okay. We'll get to that later on."

"Cone or bowl?" she asked.

"We have cones?" he asked excitedly. "Always a cone over a bowl."

"I have cones. You have nothing. And you're going to continue to have nothing the more you keep up the smartass routine." she told him with raised eyebrows.

"Where are you moving too?" he asked, unfazed by her brash comments.

She was not about to tell him that she was moving in with Abby. She wasn't about to tell him anything about her new place at all. "Upgrade" was all she said. She moved past him and made her way into the kitchen to dish out ice cream for both of them. "You want chocolate sauce on your ice cream?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods? Come on. I'll help you with that." he offered.

"I can do it my..."

"Come on, Livvie. I'm offering to help you with a couple of ice cream cones. It's not a marriage proposal. You don't have to do everything yourself you know?" It irritated him that she thought she did.

"Fine!" Jesus, why did he think he had to swoop in and save the day or something? It was really annoying! He followed her into the kitchen, and she grabbed the box of ice cream cones from the cabinet and slung them on the counter before going to the freezer and pulling out a carton of chocolate chip. She set it down beside the cones and stepped away, leaning against the sink. She folded her arms in front of her chest and gestured to him with a jerk of her head.

He took the hint and began rifling through drawers until he found a large metal spoon and scooped the frozen treat into a cone. He had two perfectly rounded scoops mounded on the cone and handed it to her. She muttered thank you to him before he grinned at her, licked his thumb, and began making the second one.

Olivia licked the ice cream. It was exactly what she needed after a long night at work. Leaning on the counter she casually asked, "so, what do you want to talk about?"

He paused his work at forming a perfect scoop and flicked his eyes over at hers. "Don't act like you have no idea what I'm talking about, Livvie. You know." He went back to his soft serve work. "I've been racking my brain trying to figure out exactly what it was I said that scared the shit out of you."

"And?" she asked, licking her cone.

"And nothing. I have no idea."

"You traveled all this way to tell me you still don't know the answer to that one?" She asked with a smile. She was enjoying his frustration a little too much.

After Fitz added the second scoop to his cone, he put the lid on top of the ice cream carton and set it inside the freezer. Leaning on the counter, he took a long casual lick of his ice cream while looking her in the eye. "Yes and no. I don't know the answer, but I'd like it if you told me."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I plan on trying to kiss you again. And I'd like it very much if you didn't run away from me on the second attempt." He couldn't keep his eyes from her lips any longer and stared at them shamelessly.

She was watching him, trying to see if he was being sincere or was just anxious to get laid. She hated to tell him but that wasn't going to happen between the two of them. Ever. A kiss, on the other hand, was fairly harmless. Besides, she owed him an explanation. She hated that it had taken her two weeks to give it to him. She jerked her head towards the door. "Let's go sit outside and talk while we eat these."

"Okay." He would agree to just about anything to spend more time with her. To get her to open up with him and have a meaningful conversation. "Do you have chairs out there we can sit on?"

"Yea, two camping chairs." She led the way out the front door of her cramped bottom floor apartment. True to her word, two canvas chairs sat not far from the door and she plopped down in one of them, leaving the other for Fitz. With the ice cream gone, Olivia took a bite of the cone and chewed it quietly.

Olivia was trying to figure out how to begin with her explanation when Fitz broke through her thoughts by exclaiming, "Wow! Look at those stars!"

She looked over at him and saw that his head was turned upward. She looked up to see what all the fuss was about. A million tiny white lights twinkled in the black sky. She'd seen a starry sky a million times before, but it really was a gorgeous show tonight. "They are really beautiful" she breathed out.

"They are nothing compared to you, Livvie."

Lowering her head, Olivia noticed that he was looking at her now. There were so many things that she wanted to tell him. Her pregnancy, why she had really moved here, that she was scared he had forgotten her and that was why she hadn't called him over the past two weeks. But none of that mattered until she explained what she had to tell him. Why she ran away from him. She supposed that would lead to all the things she wanted to tell him. Maybe not. The point was to get started.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I want to tell you why I ran. It wasn't personal. It's a long story with a lot of twists and turns, and maybe if the story leads to where I think it will, you won't care that I ran. You'll be grateful that I did and saved you a lot of headaches."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" He replied softly. He scooted his chair a little closer to hers and reached for her hand. When she let him intertwine their fingers, he began drawing little circles on top of her hand with his thumb. "Just tell me whatever parts you feel like sharing. I promise not to say anything until you're finished."

Something about him holding her hand seemed to steady Olivia. Feeling his thumb move in the same hypnotic motion was soothing. But she couldn't look at him as he explained things. "First of all, that day you tried to kiss me was really perfect. With the ocean as a backdrop, and you standing there flirting with me as if I was someone of value orrrr on the same level as you made it more perfect. And I..."

"Mmmmm, I'm sorry. I promised not to interrupt you until you were done but this has to be said. It really can't wait another minute." He dropped her hand and put his finger under her chin and brought her to face him. "You are someone of value. Whoever the hell it was that told you that you aren't, or made you feel like you aren't is an insecure asshole. I'm sorry. I'm shutting up now."

"Thank you" she replied quietly. Olivia laid her head against his arm. No one had ever said something so nice to her before and meant it. "As I was saying, everything that day was perfect. I definitely picked up on you flirting with me that afternoon. Right before your lips could touch mine you said something that caused me to run."

She felt him shift, but she couldn't look at him. Not yet. "You called me pretty girl. It was supposed to be a compliment, I'm sure, but that's not how I took it. The reason it freaked me out like it did was because that was the pet name my ex-boyfriend called me."

Olivia was quiet for a long time and Fitz was debating saying anything for fear she wasn't done speaking yet. He decided to give her a few more minutes and continued to hold her hand.

She just knew that Fitz would have jumped to his feet, angry that she had thrown her ex in his face without him even knowing it. When he kept holding his tongue, she felt more at ease to continue. "You see he wasn't a very nice guy."

Fitz couldn't help the fist that his hand automatically made at hearing Olivia tell him that the guy she had previously dated wasn't a good guy. He tried to relax but it was difficult.

"He didn't beat me or mistreat me. Not really. We were never meant to be a long term thing. It was fun for a while, but when he..." She was quiet for a moment and thought about how she was feeling. Oddly enough, she felt comfortable telling him all of it, and she wasn't really sure why. "When he found out that I was pregnant..." She let that admission hang in the air for a minute, waiting to feel his arm flex again, or for him to interrupt her once more. She had a moment of wonder when he did neither of those things and continued the soothing pattern on top of her hand.

"...he expected me to get an abortion. No discussion on the subject. He never asked me how I felt about it, or what I wanted. I was to fall in line and carry out his wishes." Now she did look up at him. She didn't really know him and had no idea how to read his reactions. "He gave me a wad of cash to get rid of the baby, but I couldn't do it."

She didn't seem to be aware that she was crying. It showed him that her baby meant a lot to Olivia. And that things between her and her ex were really over. Fitz gave her a sad smile and wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb. "And you took the money and moved here to raise your baby alone. Is that it?"

Olivia nodded and sniffed.

"That's smart. I'm guessing that's who you were referring to as your walking home partner?" he smiled. "I'm also guessing the baby's father doesn't know you're here?"

"He can't ever know that I'm here! Or that I'm still pregnant. He wouldn't be very happy with me and I am not having an angry man anywhere near..."

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be getting all worked up in your condition. It can't be good for the baby."

She looked at him through squinted eyes. "What do you know about babies?"

"Next to nothing. But you are safe here. Don't get yourself all worked up over..."

"Look! I know you mean well, trying to calm me down and all that. And I appreciate it. I do. But I'm not looking for you to ride in and save the day or something like that. I can take care of myself and this baby just fine all by myself. And you..."

Fitz got to his feet and gently pulled her to hers too. In a gentle tone he told her, "I'm not here to save the day. You're a badass in my opinion. You ran away from a bad situation to start over and keep your baby safe. And I think that is amazing. But you don't have to run away from me. I'm not trying to push myself onto you or make some magical tv moment happen with romance and promises. I just want you to know that you can trust in me. I have my flaws just like everyone else, but I'm here. I know you don't know me, and that trust is a hard thing for you to give right now. I get it. But I am drawn to you. I can't explain it because it makes no damn sense to me either."

She rubbed her belly with her free hand as his words sunk in and she studied his face. The lines on his forehead were more pronounced when he was being serious about something. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you all of this two weeks ago. I thought the best idea would be for me to avoid you so I wouldn't have to deal with it."

"Congratulations by the way." He pushed a strand of her hair away from her face. "You are going to be a great mother."

"Thank you. I feel like I'm screwing this up every single day." she admitted.

"Don't. You are fierce and protective already and it shows. This baby is lucky to have you as it's mother."

Olivia burst into tears, causing Fitz to internally panic. Once again, he wondered what he could have said to bring out the opposite reaction from her than the one he intended. His arms automatically came around her and he held her close as she continued to sob uncontrollably. He felt her little arms eventually go around his waist and cling to him. Despite the situation, nothing felt better to him.

When her tears continued to rack her body, and she showed no signs of letting up, Fitz scooped her into his arms and carried her inside her apartment. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to cling to him. He had no idea where he was going, but the place wasn't very big from front to back. He found her bedroom and while holding her with one arm, he pulled the thin blanket back with the other and carefully laid her down on the sheet. He pulled her shoes off one at a time, leaving them on the floor and pulled the blanket over her legs. She curled into a ball, still crying. She probably wanted to be alone. He turned to leave.

"Don't go." Olivia sniffed, and reached a hand out to him.

He wanted nothing more than to stay and comfort her however he could, but he felt that agreeing to it would make him seem too eager. Like he had ulterior motives. And he didn't. "I don't think that..."

"Please, Fitz." She reached for a tissue on the small bedside table and wiped her nose and face. She was sure she looked terrible, but she was past caring. "I know you don't really know me, and I know I shouldn't ask this of you, and that it doesn't make any sense, but would you please just stay here and hold me until I fall asleep? Please?"

It didn't make any sense. But nothing felt more right to him than staying. He couldn't explain that either. "Of course I'll stay."


	7. Move Your Ass

**Move Your Ass**

Olivia's eyes fluttered open a few times as her body dragged her to a conscious reality. When she opened her eyes Olivia realized that she felt terrific. Like she had slept for days. She stretched her tiny body, extending her arms over her head and pointing her toes to their limit. Somewhere in the middle of the stretch and the loud yawn that accompanied it, Olivia froze. She wasn't alone. Someone was in her bed with her. And the someone had an arm possessively tucked around her waist as they breathed deeply and evenly. She pulled the sheet up an inch and looked down at her chest. Thankfully, she was still dressed!

A smile covered Olivia's face as the memories of the night before came crashing into her brain, reminding her of exactly what had happened. Fitz was back. He had come to Florida to talk to her about what had happened the last time he was here. Her smile doubled in size. He had come here for her. Wasn't that amazing? And the two of them had talked about everything. It had been so easy to open up to him about her past and current situation. She felt so much lighter for not having any barriers between them. That was amazing too.

Slowly, almost painfully so, Olivia turned her head to look at him. Her smile stayed in place as she took in the sight of a sleeping Fitzgerald Grant III. He looked nothing like the polished well-dressed businessman she imagined him to be at work from nine to five in his office in some high rise building in California. In fact, he looked adorable rather than formidable. She quietly giggled at what she was seeing.

He was lying on his belly with his head on the smallest corner of her pillow. His right arm was tucked underneath that corner his head was teetering on top of, while his left hand was around Olivia's waist. It was very cute to see him like that. Happy with a tiny shared offering and completely caveman about another.

Her eyes wandered up to his handsome face. His eyes were closed and still, and Olivia hoped that he was sleeping as soundly as she had been. His face was at peace. No serious lines on his forehead, no look of concern, no sarcasm...

That realization made her pause. And look at his mouth.

She had caught him looking at her lips a few times the night before and she knew that he wanted to kiss her. He'd told her as much. It felt more like a warning when Fitz had said it. She couldn't resist and ran her index finger lightly across his lips. They were smooth and thin, and she wanted to wake him up and demand a kiss now. She decided against it since he had stayed when she had asked. The last thing she wanted him to think of her was needy. She'd let him sleep.

She rolled over onto her side and propped her head on her palm as she looked at this wonder of a man who had stayed with her all night long. Olivia wondered if he was a light sleeper. She figured he must not be if he didn't wake up when she changed positions in the bed or touched him. She went back to studying his pre-conscious morning look.

His hair was all messed up. Those curls were going in every direction, and once again Olivia couldn't resist and timidly reached her hand over to smooth them down. She expected them to be stiff from gel or a similar styling product, but they were soft and inviting, and she wanted to continue to run her hands through them. She made herself stop when he snorted in his sleep. Somehow even that was cute in her opinion.

She was about to lean over and whisper in his ear that it was time to wake up when Olivia heard the front door of her apartment open and then slam closed. She knew exactly who it was, and she was trying to scramble out of bed before the redheaded demon found her way into Olivia's bedroom and saw her in bed with Fitz and came to her own crazy conclusions, but his arm kept her firmly in place. When it registered in her brain that he was awake, and that this wasn't a reaction the door flung open.

"Whaddya gonna do? Sleep all..." Abby's stopped talking and her eyes turned into two shocked green lasers that were focused on Olivia and Fitz cuddled up and cozy in bed together. Her voice turned into a whisper, but it was still loud. "Holeeee shiiiiiit! Why didn't you tell me you were bringing a guy home? I would've waited at least another hour before I came over. Are you guys dressed?"

"Abby!"

She cocked her head to the side and squinted at them. "Why are you guys dressed? I know that you know what to do and how to do it, but ummmm seriously?"

"Will you shut up?!" Olivia hissed. "He's still asleep."

"Sexed him up good, didn't ya? What's the deal with the clothes though? Is he shy about his body or sumthin'?" Abby asked. She craned her neck to try to get a better look.

"I'm not asleep." Fitz casually sat up, kissed Olivia on the cheek, and grinned at Abby. "Hey, Abby."

"Fitz? Wow. Good choice, Liv. So, ahhh, why are you dressed? Is it a religious thing?" Abby asked curiously.

"Will you shut up about the clothes?" Olivia demanded.

"We didn't..." Olivia gestured with her hands and raised her eyebrows while looking between Abby and Fitz. She looked at him and said, "Hello? Help me out here!"

"It's so much fun watching you try to explain it though." he replied with a lopsided grin.

"I really haven't missed you." she said and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"So, are you guys having sex or what?" Abby asked. "She got suuuuper high strung over that almost kiss..."

"Abby!"

Fitz grinned at the redhead.

"Can you imagine the amount of therapy I'd have to give her if the two of you started having sex?"

"Abby!" Olivia said louder.

Fitz grinned wider.

"What? I'm just asking a question."

"For the record, we did not have sex. I still haven't even kissed her yet. We talked about all of our stuff and Olivia asked me to stay. She really did miss me. That's all." Fitz turned to look at Olivia and took her hand. "Right, Livvie?"

Abby crinkled up her face in disgust. "Livvie? I don't like that. It's weird."

"You're weird." Fitz pointed out. "Now go away so I can tell her goodbye for now."

"I like him. He doesn't take any shit." Abby declared and left the room.

"Well, that was strange." Olivia said shaking her head back and forth. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. I have an appreciation for a straight shooter."

"That's definitely Abby. She doesn't hold back a single thought. I'm sorry she barged in here like that."

"That you should be thankful for." Fitz said giving her a look.

"Why thankful?"

"Because I was having a hard time not pulling you into my arms for that first kiss while you were touching my lips and playing with my hair. Morning breath was a quick reminder to not do it though. I've got the bar set pretty high for myself with our first kiss and I don't think foul breath should be a part of it."

Olivia's eyes went wide before she covered them with her hands and groaned, "ohmygod! You were awake?"

Fitz chuckled at her embarrassment. It was adorable. He pried her hands away from her face and looked her in the eye.

"Why didn't you tell me you were awake?"

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself." He shrugged. "I liked it too. But out of curiosity, why is Abby here so early in the morning?"

"Oh. Well, she and I are moving in together and I guess she got a tad excited. Remember when I told you that I had a busy weekend? We are going to start moving into our place today." Olivia explained.

"Funny. All I got out of you last night was upgrade." he said smiling.

"Last night you were just some guy who was desperate to kiss me." she said smiling back.

"And now?" he asked seriously.

Olivia shrugged. "And now...now you're someone I'm beginning to trust. Please don't make me regret it."

"Thank you for trusting me." He held her hand and began drawing circles on it with his thumb again. "I have no intentions of ever making you regret it."

"For people who didn't have sex last night, the two of you sure are staying in that bed a long time!" Abby called out from the kitchen. She put some coffee on so the two sex free adults would have some when they finally came out.

'Ohmygod! She's ridiculous!" Olivia giggled. "I hate her sometimes."

"She's anxious for you two to get stuff moved into the new place. I don't blame her at all. I'd like to come help you move after I've had a shower, if that's okay?" Fitz asked as he pulled back the blanket and got out of the bed.

"Really? You want to do that?"

"Yea, it'll be fun. I'll be glad to help whoever you have moving the big stuff."

"Weeee didn't really think that far ahead." Olivia admitted.

"Then I'll definitely be back. Maybe we can round up some strong willing neighbors at the new place to help me with the furniture?" He sat on the edge of the bed and put his shoes on. "I should be back here in less than an hour. Don't leave me."

Olivia pointed a finger at him with a grin. "Then don't be late."

"See you in an hour, Livvie." He held onto her head and kissed the top of it. Pulling it back and looking into her eyes he winked at her and added, "that was not the kiss. But it's coming."

She watched him walk out of her bedroom and called out, "you keep saying that!"

When he was gone, Abby brought Olivia a cup of coffee into her bedroom with a huge sweet smile. "I want to know everything, you dirty harlot."

"Shut up, Abs. Nothing happened. We ate ice cream, talked, and I asked him to stay with me until I fell asleep. That's it."

"Wha'd ya talk about?" Abby asked and sipped her own coffee.

"I told him everything. About my ex, that I'm pregnant, the kiss...all of it. It really felt good to get it off my chest too. To not have to hold my breath around him anymore about anything. I should have done it two weeks ago. But what's done is done." Olivia stated.

"Before he went out the door, he told me that he's going to come back and help us move. I gave him my number and he gave me his."

Olivia threw up her free hand in exasperation. "It figures! You get his number before I do! What the hell, Abby?"

"You snooze you lose, preggo." The redhead chuckled. "Besides, you had his number for two weeks and never called him. That's on you!"

"I'm jumping in the shower and then we can get started packing our cars." Olivia said, getting out of bed.

Fitz swiped his key card at his hotel room door and went inside when the light turned green. He had taken two steps past the door when he heard humming coming from the shower. He looked at the bed and saw an opened suitcase lying on top of it. He looked to the right once more, and after making sure the door was locked, went to the bed to see whose shit was in here.

In a matter of seconds, based on the clothing, Fitz knew exactly who was in the shower humming a happy tune. He grinned happily and made himself a cup of coffee. A few minutes later, the humming and the shower stopped. Fitz was sitting on his bed watching television and waiting for his guest to come out and greet him.

"Fitz? Is that you?" a British accent asked from the bathroom.

"You expecting someone else?" Fitz called back and turned off the tv. When his surprise guest walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist and a grin on his face, Fitz said, "What the hell are you doing here, Stephen?"

"I'm trying to figure that out myself. Your father called mine who demanded that I fly down here and check on you."

Fitz gave an annoyed look before he rolled his eyes.

"Something about you leaving town quickly and using the hotel expansion as an excuse. No one is buying that, by the way." Stephen grabbed a pair of boxer briefs from his suitcase and tugged them on under his towel. He took Fitz's cup of coffee out of his hand and sat down on the edge of the bed and asked, "so why are you really here?"

"The expansion. Really."

"Now that I've heard you say it yourself; I don't buy it either." Stephen chuckled. "What are you playing at?"

"What other reason could there possibly be?" Fitz asked innocently.

"It's definitely NOT for the expansion. Is there a new strip club somewhere around?"

"That's not something I'm remotely interested in."

"Yea, I was asking for myself. Is there one close by?" Stephen asked with a straight face.

"I'm actually glad you're here. A friend of mine is moving and I need..."

"No! Hell no! I didn't fly out here to sweat by helping people move."

"How did you plan on sweating?" Fitz already knew the answer and Stephen's grin confirmed how well he knew his cousin. "Look, it's two girls moving into a new place and..."

"I knew it. You met a woman." He shook his head back and forth. "It's typical that you found one who is moving. Let me guess, she batted her eyelashes and said something completely moronic like 'pretty please'?"

"No, you ass." Fitz chuckled. "It's not like that."

"Then why don't you tell me what it is like."

"Fine. I'm here for a girl. She's smart and beautiful and funny and single." Fitz told him.

"Wait. Did you say she has a friend she's moving in with?" Stephen's smirk was in place and he began pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "Set me up with the friend and I'll help."

Fitz thought of Abby and her straightforward ways. Stephen didn't stand a chance with the fiery redhead. He had to get some dependable help. Tricking Stephen would be worth it. "Deal. We're leaving as soon as I get out of the shower though, so be ready."

"Fine. Wait." Stephen asked with a hesitant scowl. "What does the friend look like?"

"Honestly? She's beautiful. Her name is Abby and she's tall and thin with green eyes and red hair."

"Oooooh, a ginger! You know how I love a challenge. I'm in! Hurry up in the shower."

Thirty minutes later, the two of them were on their way back to Olivia's apartment. Fitz had sent a text to Abby alerting her that he was bringing some more muscle to help with the work. She had sent him the thumbs up emoji and went back to loading her car.

"Stephen, this is Abby Wheelan. Abby, this is my cousin, Stephen."

"You're the muscle?" Abby asked and skeptically eyed Stephen from head to toe.

"I am." Stephen stated confidently. "Fitz has the looks; I have the looks and the muscles."

"I thought British people were known for having bad teeth and complaining about everything?"

Stephen chuckled and nodded his head. Abby was a pistol. He liked someone with a quick wit and a sharp tongue who could hold their own verbally. "Have you ever been to Britain?"

"Well...No."

"Then where are you getting your information from?"

He was sexy, in Abby's opinion. She was excited to know that he would be around all day, helping her and Liv move. Still, she had to play it cool, as if he didn't affect her in any way. Abby shrugged. "TV and movies, like everyone else. But you appear to have good teeth. If I don't hear any bitching from you while we move, then maybe you can change my opinion of your people?"

"My people?" Stephen asked incredulously. "Do you care to know what my people's opinion is of Americans?"

"Nope." Abby disappeared into Olivia's tiny apartment to grab another box.

Stephen shot Fitz an exasperated look. "Is she always like this?"

"From my experience, yes." Fitz answered with a grin.

The Brit turned his head to look in the house. "I think I'm already in love."

Fitz rolled his eyes and clapped his cousin on the back. "Come on, Romeo."

After some mild bitching on Abby's part over the way Stephen unloaded and then reloaded her car, even if he did create more space, the four of them were on their way to the new house. Fitz rode with Olivia in her car while Stephen gleefully rode with Abby in hers. They came to a stop outside a cute little white house. It was plain looking on the outside, nothing fancy, but Abby and Olivia hadn't been looking for fancy. Just something a little bigger than either one of them were currently living in. And it was right across the street from the beach.

"Cute house. Looks comfy." Fitz commented from the passenger seat.

Olivia shrugged. A habit she had already acquired from Abby. "It'll suit our purposes just fine. Plenty of room for the three of us."

Fitz turned his head to look at Olivia. She was smiling with a faraway look on her face and touching her belly. "Like I said, this baby is lucky to have you."

That seemed to snap her out of her haze. She sighed loudly and told him, "let's go. We've got a lot of work to do today. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so it's probably a good idea to get all of the big stuff moved in today."

"Good idea. Let's get these cars empty and then we'll load up the furniture and get it over here. Maybe the two of you can spend the night here tonight if we get enough stuff brought over?"

Olivia grinned and clapped her hands excitedly. "That would be fantastic! And a nice surprise for Abs. Don't tell her until we know for sure if it works out, okay?"

Fitz grinned back. "Okay. I think we should..."

"I know the two of you aren't planning to sit in that air conditioned car all afternoon while Stephen and I unload everything. Move your asses!" Abby said with a grin from outside Olivia's window.

"I hate her sometimes." Olivia said chuckling.

The men were given the grand tour of the two bedroom house by the giddy women. They jabbered about the things they wanted to hang on the walls, where they wanted their beds placed, how to decorate the bathroom, and a thousand other mind numbing things that men typically find boring. But they paid attention and offered advice when it was asked for.

A few hours later, both cars were unloaded. Olivia and Abby had started taking items out of boxes and setting them haphazardly in the rooms they were intended for. Oddly enough, their stuff went together fairly well. Fitz and Olivia were sitting on the tiny back porch drinking large bottles of water Stephen had bought at the store earlier. She and Fitz were watching Stephen and Abby walk near the water, probably getting to know each other. They were all resting for a minute before going back to the apartment to load more stuff to bring over. "I don't want to sound like a bossy jerk, but please don't overdo it with the boxes, Livvie." Fitz told her.

She bumped her shoulder into his with a smile and said, "I won't. My job is to protect him above all else because..."

"I'm sorry. Did you say him?" he interrupted.

"Well, I..."

"Did you find out you're having a boy?" Fitz asked.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just...have a feeling it's a boy." Olivia confessed quietly.

"I could see you with a son." Fitz said smiling. His phone chimed and he pulled it from his pocket and looked at it, sending a reply.

Olivia was a bit put off seeing him answer text messages as they sat there talking but put it out of her mind as she kept up the conversation. "Really?"

"Yea. It's not hard to picture. Do you have any names picked out yet? Or at the very least a list of names to choose from?"

"I need to get on that, I know. But I barely got settled into my apartment and new job when I got demoted from a troublesome customer.." she shot him a playful look. "...got stalked by said customer who lives on the other side of the United States and began repacking the few things I had unpacked to begin with because Abby suggested this crazy idea of us living together."

"You've been busy." he teased.

"To say the least. Once I get everything put in its place, I plan on sitting down and writing out several names for a boy and girl – just in case my motherly intuition is wrong."

"Good plan."

"We should get going. There's so much to do today. Abby and I won't be much use with the heavy stuff but we're planning to get a moving truck to load it into." Olivia explained.

A horn sounded from the front of the house and while Olivia shot Fitz a confused look, wondering who in the world that could be, Fitz grinned at her. "Right on time."

"Who is?"

"The movers. I gave them your address and got a key from Abby to leave from them. They've packed up your stuff and brought it over here. I wasn't being rude earlier by answering my phone, I was confirming this address for them." he explained.

"You did what?!" she asked and got to her feet.

"Please don't be mad, Livvie. I asked Abby about it this morning from the hotel and she agreed. Of course, she had one condition." He stood in front of her, unsure of how she would react to him taking over.

"I can't wait to hear this one." Olivia replied and put her hands on her hips.

"We had to send the truck to her place to get her stuff too." he said with a boyish grin.

She wanted to be mad. This was her move. Hers and Abbys. The two of them were sprouting wings and attempting to do things on their own. Together. Which sounded kinda stupid, now that she put the thought together. She was trying to learn how to deal with things by herself, without relying on anyone for help. It was time for her to...

Fitz gently grasped her chin and directed her attention up to his smiling face. "You don't have to do everything by yourself you know. Getting help isn't a sign of weakness. It shows that you are cared about by other people." He dropped her chin and held his hands up in front of her and added, "people without any ulterior..."

She jumped at him and happily wrapped her arms around his neck. The moment she felt his arms come around her waist, she knew they were okay. "Thank you" she whispered in his ear and held on tighter.

It was a baby step, but Fitz was proud of her for taking it. He smiled into her soft hair that was warm from being out in the sunshine. "You're welcome" he whispered into her ear. He held her close for a long moment, taking the time to appreciate it. Just when he was beginning to feel like no greater joy could be found than being in her arms, Olivia pulled away.

She looked into his eyes, searching for the blue but finding more gray in them. Fitz was looking back at her with an intensity that might have made another person squirm. Instead, it made Olivia feel like she was very comfortably under his spell. She got up on her tiptoes and rested her forehead against his, giving him an easy smile. With her arms at her sides, Olivia slid her small hands into his much larger ones and intertwined their fingers. When she saw him lick his lips, she dropped his hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, and closed her eyes. This was the moment.

His left hand came up and cupped her cheek. He just looked at her for a second. Her head was tilted up towards him in invitation, her eyes were closed, the sun was on her face, and her breathing was heavy. He bet if he could feel her heartbeat he'd find it hammering out of her chest. She looked beautiful. He had waited long enough for this moment. Shoving all other thoughts out of his mind, Fitz brushed his thumb over her bottom lip once before he very tenderly leaned down and replaced it with his lips.

The moment their mouths touched, nothing else mattered. The connection between them was what was most important. It felt magical and powerful and all consuming, yet they both kept the kiss soft and unrushed. Even when Olivia opened her mouth and pulled him impossibly closer by gripping the sides of his shirt, they were both completely content to slowly savor the moment.

The moment their tongues touched both of Fitz's hands were on her cheeks, as if he were trying to keep her in place so he could have his way with her mouth. Olivia's hands slid from his neck, across his muscular forearms, until her hands came to rest on top of his. She could feel Fitz trying to break the kiss before it became heated, but she kept moving closer to him, not quite ready to break the connection yet.

Breathlessly, he pulled his head back from hers and drew in air. While Olivia did the same, he traced her bottom lip once more with his thumb. Her lip was plumper than it had been moments before. Whatever she had been wearing on her lips -lip gloss or lipstick - was long gone by now. Fitz stared at her lower lip longingly. He wasn't quite ready to be separated from her either, and he leaned down and kissed her softly once more.

"Are you guys gonna get married or what?" Abby called out from over a hundred feet away.

Olivia broke the kiss and groaned loudly.

"I know." Fitz said through a grin as he pulled Olivia into his arms for a hug. "You hate her sometimes."


	8. Chapter 8

**So Much To Talk About**

"Your father and I have been worried sick about you, Olivia. Why haven't you called before now? We don't even know where you are or what you do. It's all very strange." Marie Pope told her daughter on the phone. She had been ecstatic to hear from Olivia after two weeks of no contact. She was their only daughter and it didn't sit well with either of her parents to not know where she was or how she was doing. The lack of contact was unacceptable. "Olivia? Are you still there?"

"I'm still here, mom. And I'm sorry I haven't called before now. I've been..."

"Don't you dare say you've been busy! You're never too busy to call your mother."

"I wasn't going to say that!" Olivia said defensively. She hated that her mother knew exactly what she was going to say before she even said it. "My life has been pretty hectic lately. That's all. I miss you and dad so, so much."

It was Saturday morning and Olivia was lying across her bed in a pair of pajama shorts and a t-shirt. She had spontaneously made the decision to reach out to her parents to hear their voices. She was missing them both an awful lot lately, especially her mother. The two sided pleasant conversation quickly turned into a one sided interrogation, with her mother asking all the questions.

"Where are you living? Is it a safe neighborhood? What is this fantastic job you have that is so great you haven't told us anything about it? Are you eating enough? Do you have enough money? Are the people..."

"Mom!" Olivia interrupted the rapid fire questions. She knew they would be anxious to hear from her, but this was more than even she expected. It was a lot to take in. She took a breath and calmly answered all of her mother's worrisome questions. "I'm living in a great house across the street from the beach. It is a safe neighborhood. The people are very friendly. My job is really great. I work at a hotel checking in guests. It's nothing glamorous, but it pays the bills. I'm eating plenty when I'm hungry and I have good friends around me."

The line was quiet for a moment and it was Olivia's turn to ask, "mom? Are you still there?"

"How are you affording a house on the beach all by yourself from working at a hotel?" Marie asked. It wasn't possible for Olivia to pull that off alone, and they both knew it.

Olivia held the cellphone out at arm's length and gave it an appalled look. Of all the things that she had just said to placate her mother, she picked up on this one thing to pick apart. Taking a deep calming breath, Olivia put the phone back to her ear and went with the truth. "I live with a roommate, mom."

"Olivia Carolyn Pope? Are you insane?"

The phone was pulled back at arm's length and Olivia could still hear her mother's loud voice perfectly well.

"You've been living there for all of, what, four weeks? And you up and move in with a complete stranger just to have a place near the water? Have you lost your mind?" Marie sputtered loudly.

"Mom, Abby is one of the women I work with. She's my age, very dependable, funny, and at this point, she's my best friend."

"So, you're living with a twenty-four year old comedian with decent credit. And after four weeks, the two of you are soul sisters or something to that effect. Is that it?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. That was one way to describe Abby. None of it was untrue either. It just didn't sound very good the way her mother said it. "You would love Abby if you ever met her, mom."

"I'm glad you have made a good friend there, Olivia. I am. But I am more concerned about you and your well being than I am your new best friend. You told your father and I that you had landed an exciting job. A hotel check in girl is not that exciting. Now, I haven't seen you in over a month, and I don't like that. I miss you, Olivia."

"I'm sorry I lied about my job, mom. I really am. And I know you and dad have been worried about me, but you don't have to. I'm doing just fine. I'm taking care of myself and paying my own bills. I called because I miss you guys." Olivia explained.

"Why don't you come home for a visit on your next day off? It would do our hearts some good to see you and put our arms around you. It's been too long since I've hugged my baby." Marie was pouring the guilt on a little thick, but she didn't care. She only hoped it was working because she had a feeling that things weren't quite as great as her daughter was making them out to be. The need to see Olivia was strong.

"I just had a day off yesterday." Olivia lied. She got off her bed and began to pace back and forth in her bedroom with a hand on her little baby bump. She wondered if she went to see her parents would they be able to tell that she was pregnant? She was fifteen weeks along, and it was as if her growing little bean had suddenly decided that it was time for him to make his presence known. She had enough on her mind worrying about how to tell Mark without losing her job. She felt like the moment she told him she was pregnant her name would go to the top of the list of people to get let go once summer ended. Dealing with her parents finding out was a worry she definitely wasn't ready for.

"Well, when is your next day off?" Marie asked. There was something Olivia wasn't telling her. She was sure of it. A mother knows.

"The schedule will be posted tomorrow. I'll know for sure then."

"I'll be expecting a text by tomorrow night with a day you'll be coming home for a visit. I mean it, Olivia."

There was no way around it now. "Okay, mom. I promise. I've got to go for now though. Give daddy my love."

"You take care of yourself, and text me tomorrow. Please."

"I will. I love you mom."

"I love you to the moon and back. Bye, baby."

Olivia ended the call with her mother. Her mom had ended her phone calls to Olivia with the same phrase for as long as Olivia could remember. I love you to the moon and back. Those words were such a comfort to Olivia every time she heard them. It was kind of like getting a hug from her mom even though she wasn't there to give it in person. She could really use the real thing though.

And then another thought hit her. Olivia excitedly ran to Abby's bedroom door and opened it without knocking. She slapped a hand over her eyes and giggled at the sight of a bare ass on Abby's bed. "Ohmygod! I'm sorry! I should have knocked first. I'm going!"

"Relax. It's just Stephen." Abby pulled the sheet over him and announced, "I covered him up."

"Is he asleep?" Olivia whispered as she turned around.

"Yea. He's out cold. He can sleep through just about anything." Abby announced. "Must be a British thing?"

Olivia giggled at her friend and sat down on the bed beside the redhead. "I came in here to tell you some exciting news."

"Great. I'm bored, waiting for him to wake up. Tell me what it is."

"I want to paint one wall in my bedroom gray."

"That's it? A gray wall? That's the earth shattering news?" Abby asked with a crinkled nose.

"Shut up, Abs. I have a theme for my..." Olivia held up her index and middle fingers to make air quotes. "nursery."

"Why do you do that stupid thing with your fingers every time you say that word?"

"Because it's not really a nursery. It's my bedroom. I'm just going to have all of the little peanut's stuff on one side of the room." Olivia explained.

"I thought it was a bean?"

Olivia huffed. "He is a bean! I slipped! It's from hearing you call him a bean all the time!"

"You're welcome." Abby said with a grin.

"Do you want to hear what the nursery theme is or what?"

"Yea, might as well. A gray wall ain't cutting it in the excitement department."

"I hate you sometimes." Olivia said, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm sorry. Tell me what the theme is for our beany peanut."

"I was on the phone with my mother a few minutes ago."

"Uh oh!"

"Uh oh is right. She basically demanded that I send her my work schedule. She is really insistent on seeing me soon. I think I'm gonna have to give in and go home for a visit next week."

"You need to see your parents. They are probably worried about you. And when they find out that you are pregnant, they will be worried about the baby too. It's what parents do, Liv."

Olivia brought her index finger to her mouth and began biting on the skin beside her fingernail. "I know, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for them to know I'm pregnant. It was a lot for me to process and I'm the one who will give birth. My parents are going to lose their minds. They might not let me out of their sight when they find out."

"Whaddya mean? Like, they won't let you come back here?" Abby exclaimed loudly.

"Maybe." Olivia said in a worried tone.

"Uh uh! We signed a one year lease on this house! Your ass is coming back here. You've got bills to pay and a job to work at."

"Abs, I doubt that they would..."

"We're not chancing it! When you go see your parents AND tell them the news, I'm going with you to make sure you come back." the redhead declared.

"You'd really do that for me, Abby?"

"I'd be doing it for me. I can't afford to live here without..." All the air was sucked out of her lungs when Olivia lunged at her, toppling them both over, in a bone crushing hug.

"What the hell is going on?" Stephen asked in a sleepy irritated voice. He squinted his bleary eyes at the two laughing roommates on the bed beside him who were paying him no mind. All sleepiness immediately disappeared as he grinned at them.

"Get real, perv." Abby said in a mock disgusted tone. She was grinning as she said it and leaned over Olivia to peck him on the lips. "Did you sleep well?"

Stephen pulled Abby over to his side of the bed and tried to cover her up with him. She was giggling and shaking her head no at his attempts. He swatted her ass and huffed. "As soon as Olivia leaves, I'm going to take a shower."

"You might as well go now. We aren't done talking yet. When you're done can you put some coffee on too please?" Olivia replied with a sweet smile.

"Bleeding hell! The two of you talk non stop! You live together! What could you possibly have to talk about every day?" he complained.

"Told ya Brits are complainers." Abby said, jerking a thumb at the man holding her hostage in her own bed.

"It's about the baby." Olivia said quietly. She knew it was one topic that made Stephen fell uneasy to talk about. He always apologized and clamped his mouth shut.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Liv." He never knew what to say about babies. He didn't know anything about them, and truth be told, they freaked him out. He grabbed a pair of shorts from the floor and pulled them on under the sheet before getting up and making his way to the bathroom.

Once he was gone, Olivia turned to Abby and the two of them laughed at Stephen's expense. "You don't have to come with me to my parent's house. I mean, I appreciate it. I really do, but..."

"I'd love to meet your mom and dad. Parents love me. I'm the fun daughter they wished they'd had instead of the boring one they ended up with."

Olivia rolled her eyes at her friend.

"In all seriousness, I'd be there for support. In case they do freak out at the news of becoming grandparents. Nobody gets to yell at the mommy to be." Abby said firmly.

"Thanks, Abby. That will be a huge help. I'll be a lot less nervous to tell them that I'm pregnant with you as back up. I love you."

"Ewww. Preggo hormone alert! I love you too though."

"Ohmygod!" Olivia shrieked, and sat up on her friend's bed. "I almost forgot to tell you what the nursery theme is!"

"Back to the gray wall. I can hardly wait." Abby replied in a bored tone.

"Before my mom says goodbye to me, she always says this phrase."

"Always? Like, without fail?"

"Every single time." Olivia assured her. "She always says, I love you to the moon and back."

"Awww, that's kinda sweet. Maybe you should teach that to Fitz." Abby suggested.

"Fitz has never said that he loves me. We don't even really know each other yet. But if that day..."

"When" Abby interrupted confidently.

"...comes, I don't want Fitz saying the same thing my mother says. That would be weird."

"Great. Back to the nursery before I die of old age." Abby threw her head back with her mouth hanging open and gestured for Olivia to hurry the hell up with her hands.

"Right. So, since I'm fairly convinced that the bean is a boy, I'm going to paint the wall gray and decorate it in a space theme. I want to have those eight words, I love you to the moon and back, on that wall over the crib. What do you think?"

"We could hang up some stars and a moon. Maybe a spaceship and an astronaut too?" Abby tapped her fingertips together in an excited but quiet clap with a grin on her face. "And the letters could be blue. It would be so cute on a gray wall! I'm excited to go buy some paint and get started!"

Abby had no trouble picturing what Olivia was describing. When she turned to look at Olivia, she noticed that she was crying. She put an arm around the mommy to be. "Hey! What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

She gave a watery laugh and said, "I just miss my mom so much. I wish I could talk to her about all of this stuff. She could tell me what to expect as I go along in my pregnancy, so I don't freak out over the changes happening to my body. She had such a great way of calming me down or making me laugh. She was barely five feet tall, but she also made me feel protected more than anyone else ever has."

Abby held Olivia tightly and murmured, "she sounds like an amazing woman. I can't wait to meet her."

"She's gonna love you, Abs. The two of you are so much alike that it's scary."

"I'm sure it's not scary." Abby scoffed.

"It's ridiculously scary how similar the two of you are." Olivia sniffed.

"What you're saying is that now you have two tough chicks protecting and loving you. And the bean."

Olivia chuckled. "Exactly. Thanks, Abby."

"I think it's really great that you want to decorate the nursery with your mother's words. That will mean a lot to her when you explain it to her. But uhhh..."

"But uhhh what?" Olivia asked.

"Don't you want to wait until you've had your ultrasound to know exactly what you're having without a shadow of a doubt? Just to be safe?"

"Nah." Olivia wiped her cheeks and puffy eyes with her hand and then touched her little belly. "I know there's a little boy in there. My job is to make sure he's nothing like his father. Besides, buying the paint and actually getting around to painting the wall are two very different things."

"Good point. We do need to get the peanut some gear. A crib, a dresser, one of those tables that you change stinky diapers on. Clothes might be a good idea?" Abby said shrugging. "Diapers too."

"When is your next day off?" Olivia asked.

"Tuesday. You?"

"Hey! Same!"

"I think Mark is scared to separate us now that we are besties?" Abby said grinning.

"Last week when you showed up with dinner right when I went on my break, I swear he thought we had ESP or something."

"At least our periods aren't synched up." the redhead laughed.

"Too far." Olivia said dryly, and got off the bed. "You good to go on a road trip next Tuesday?"

"Absolutely sure."

"Coffee is ready" Stephen called out from the kitchen.

"Thank God for good timing." Olivia muttered.

"Don't call him god. It only makes things worse. Trust me."

"I wasn't referring to your boyfriend. And stop telling me stuff like that. It's weird."

"Are you telling me Fitz doesn't like to be called Tarzan?"

"How should I know what he likes being called?"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaitaminute!" Abby moved past Olivia and stood directly in front of her. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we haven't had sex yet. What do you think I'm saying?"

"Let's go over a few things." Abby pointed at Olivia's stomach. "You're already pregnant. It can't happen again right now. What are you waiting for?"

"To know his middle name for starters! What the hell is the rush?"

Abby paused, tilted her head back, and rubbed her chin as if in deep thought. Her eyes met Olivia's and she said, "I have no idea what Stephen's middle name is. Is that a bad thing?"

"It's not a bad thing. Not necessarily. If the two of you are just having some fun with each other then it doesn't matter whether you know his middle name or not. But...I don't want to just have fun with Fitz. I've done that in the past."

Abby pointed to her friend's belly again and said, "obviously."

Olivia swatted the redhead's hand away on a chuckle. "Shut up! I want to take my time and get to know him as a person. I can't even begin to fathom a physical relationship with anyone. Sex is fun, but I'm not interested in the physical stuff right now. I'm looking for something more meaningful. And Fitz knows that. He might be that person, but I'm not going to jump into bed with him because of it. We are very comfortable taking things slow right now.""

A knock on the door broke up the conversation between the two friends. Abby went to open it and gestured for the person on the other side to come in. "Look everybody. Tarzan is here." she said grinning.

Fitz sent a confused look from Abby to Olivia and then back to Abby.

"There's that straight shooter you appreciate so much." Olivia told him as she poured coffee into a mug. "You want some coffee?"

"I wish I could. Unfortunately, I can't stay. I just came to pick up Stephen. We have some work to do that will probably last until late this afternoon." He took the mug from her hands and set it on the counter. Giving her a smile, Fitz opened his arms and gave her a warm hug when she stepped into his embrace. He was immensely proud of Olivia every time she took a baby step. The pride wasn't because she trusted him, it was that she was no longer keeping everyone out of her life except Abby and throwing her walls up sky high to protect herself. It was nice to see her slowly changing. "I could be persuaded to come back for an ice cream cone under the stars tonight though. Do we still have cones?" he asked.

Olivia gave him a smug look.

"I see. You have cones. I have nothing. Is that it?" he teased.

"You catch on quick." she replied before closing her eyes, puckering her lips, and tilting her head up in his direction.

She is an absolute wonder, Fitz thought as he gazed down at the pajama clad beauty in his arms. He slowly swiped his thumb across her bottom lip before pecking it. "Do you have to work today?" he asked.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked up into his blue ones. It felt good to burrow in his strong arms for a few minutes. With her hands on his chest, Olivia could feel the ripples of his abdominal muscles underneath his t-shirt. She wondered what Fitz's chest looked like under the shirt. She wondered if he had a hairy chest or a bare one. If his muscles were as impressive as the images she was conjuring them up to be. And, she wondered how he would react if she ran her fingertips across his broad, bare, muscular, tan...

"Liv?! Hello?" Fitz snapped his fingers in front of her face a few times.

Olivia blinked a few times to clear the mental pictures of Fitz and his bare chest out of her brain. "What? Yup!"

He gave her that lopsided grin. "Where were you just now?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Right here. I was trying to remember if we really did have ice cream cones or if I needed to go buy some."

Fitz had a sneaky feeling she was fibbing to him. He had heard her groan lightly during her 'ice cream thinking'. It hadn't been loud enough for anyone else to hear, but he had heard it. If he didn't know any better, Fitz would think that she just had a dirty thought about him. She'd had that glazed over expression on her face that was usually a dead giveaway. His grin grew wider at the thought of it and he decided to test his theory out. "And?"

She ran her hands down his chest, and then they quickly made their way around his waist. She had to get her hands away from his chest. "And what? I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Her eyes flickered down to his chest and lingered a moment before they went back up to his baby blues. "What were we talking about?"

Fitz leaned down and kissed her nose. "Never mind. I think I know the answer. I'll bring some cones with me when I come back later just in case you're out."

"Tell me what you think you know, since you're so smart, wise guy."

"I don't think so." Fitz threw back.

"That's what I thought." she replied superiorly. "Do I get to have a cone since I'm supplying the ice cream?"

"That depends." he teased.

"Depends on what?" Olivia demanded.

"It depends on if you think you can drop the smartass routine." He pecked her lips once more, motioned to Stephen, and walked out the door wearing the biggest grin of his life.


	9. Say What You Mean

**Say What You Mean**

"I'm really glad you came to breakfast with me this morning." Fitz told Olivia.

They were sitting across from each other in some hole in the wall place eating waffles. He had noticed that she was starting to show a little bit. He would never mention it to her, but he noticed. Pregnancy looked good on Olivia. She looked healthy and happy. Maybe even settled too. He was sure that part of it was due to her being away from the controlling situation she had gotten herself out of. Some of it was probably also Abby's influence and friendship. Fitz would like to think that he too was partly responsible for her happy disposition, but that would be an assumption. Whatever the reasons, Olivia looked radiant. He now understood why it was said that pregnant women glowed.

Olivia smiled as she chewed the food in her mouth. She was suddenly starving all the time now. It hit out of the blue one day last week, and ever since then, Olivia couldn't get enough to eat at mealtimes. Another girl might feel self conscience about eating ravenously, but Olivia didn't. She wasn't looking to become obese, but she was feeding a growing bean and she intended to take good care of him now, so she had a healthy baby later.

She took a sip of her orange juice and sent him a smile. "I wasn't going to, but then my stomach started growling and the bean made the decision for me."

"Whatever the reason, I'm glad you came." He reached across the table and held her hand. "I know you're off today, but I have to go to the hotel and do some work on the expansion later this afternoon. And then I've got to have a long drawn out conversation with my father about everything I've done."

"If that's your way of inviting me to come along, it needs work." Olivia told him with a grin.

"It isn't. But I was thinking that before I actually start on all of that, you and I could spend a few hours at the beach. Maybe do some swimming, look for seashells, find out who has the best sandcastle building skills, get some lunch, and then I'll take you back home. Are you up for getting your ass kicked with the sandcastle thing?" He asked smugly.

Olivia looked at him wordlessly for what seemed like a long time. She scooted out of her side of the red booth and slid beside Fitz on his. It was stupid, but she felt like crying. She was getting pretty good at shutting those feelings down though.

"Liv? What's the matter?" Fitz asked in a voice full of concern and put his arm around her.

Instead of giving in to the tears, she grabbed his cheeks and kissed him. It was bordering on hot and heavy before she came to her senses and broke the kiss.

"I am absolutely NOT complaining, but what the hell was that for?" Fitz exclaimed.

Olivia smiled at him and silently went back to her breakfast from her spot beside Fitz.

"Livvie?" Fitz cocked his head to the side while looking at her. "One minute you appeared to be on the verge of tears and the next you attack me in a public place without warning. Are pregnancy hormones that crazy?"

"Yes and no. I decided crying is pointless and thought kissing was a better alternative." She speared a piece of waffle and stuck it into her mouth as Fitz looked at her with confusion written across his face.

"And I agree wholeheartedly. Kissing should always trump crying. But it would be nice to know what was going to make you cry in the first place so that I don't say it again."

She put her fork down and laid her head against his shoulder. He pulled her even closer to comfort her as he listened. "I hadn't been living here very long when I took my very first beach day. I waited until it was my birthday so I could celebrate however I wanted to, and I spent the entire afternoon at the ocean. I had a moment when I told my baby that one day, I would teach him or her how to swim, find shells, build sandcastles, and ride the waves to the shore. You just asked me to do all those things with you today and..."

"And now you think I'm the one, right?"

Olivia's head snapped back, and she looked up to see him grinning at her. What was she gonna do with him and his sarcastic mouth? She got up on her knees beside him kissed him again. She felt some measure of satisfaction when she knew she had once again caught him off guard. After a minute, she pulled away from his mouth, looked him in the eye, and breathlessly said, "exactly. Marry me."

She felt a lot more satisfaction seeing all the blood drain from his face.

His mouth was as dry as the Sahara, but he swallowed the lump in his throat and turned in the seat facing her. Breakfast was long forgotten. All he said was, "yes.

A humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "Yea, okay. Proposing to a guy in Waffle World is exactly how I imagined my engagement going down."

Changing the subject, Olivia said, "Anyways, I can't go to the beach with you. I didn't bring my stuff."

Fitz wanted to discuss the marriage topic a little more. Not their marriage, but the topic in general. He was curious about her thoughts about it, but he took the hint and dropped it. He mentally put a pin in it, to discuss it another day. He grinned smugly at her. "Abby gave me your beach bag before we left. She said your bathing suit is in there too."

"But how do you know which..." she began.

"Which bathing suit?" he guessed. "Abby threw them all in the bag. Apparently, she and Stephen were pretty excited about having the house to themselves for a while. She said something about middle names being overrated. Do you know what that means?"

Olivia grinned and shook her head back and forth. Good for Abby. She grabbed her glass and downed her orange juice. Setting the glass back on the table, and seeing that her plate was empty, she shrugged. "I guess all that's left is for you to pay the check."

"I can do that. But you're buying me something to drink at the beach." he informed her. Fitz waited from his spot at the booth while Olivia went into the bathroom and changed into her bathing suit. She emerged a few minutes later. Fitz paid the bill and thy headed towards the ocean.

The two of them found a spot on the warm sand close to the water. Olivia spread out the two colorful beach towels Fitz had stuffed into her beach bag while he took his shoes off. It was a beautiful day to be at the beach. The blazing sun was happily nestled in a perfectly blue sky and the water looked cool and inviting. There were lots of people around and their chatter and laughter mixed in with the sounds of seagulls flying just overhead added to the blissful ambiance. Spending the next few hours here without a worry in the world seemed like a fantastic idea.

"Hey, Livvie? Could you put some sunscreen on my back, so I don't burn please?"

"Yea, sure." She'd done it dozens of times for dozens of different people. It was no big deal. And then it hit her. This was Fitz. He would have to take off his shirt for her to put sunscreen on his back. She would get a look at his chest. The same one she had been spending vast amounts of time daydreaming about lately.

She turned head in time to watch him cross his arms in front of his chest and grab the hem of his shirt. All of the chatter, laughter, and bird squawking sounds immediately ceased. The scene before her played out in slow motion and she savored every delicious moment. His plain gray t-shirt slowly, almost torturously so, traveled up over his stomach as Fitz's muscular arms rose in front of his body.

When his arms were over his head, and the shirt material blocked his face from view, Olivia's eyes quickly took in his chiseled chest. His abs were well defined under his amazing pectoral muscles. Brown curly hair lightly covered the top of his chest and then quickly tapered into a thin line that disappeared into his swim trunks. It was much better than she had imagined.

Fitz felt her eyes on him the second he began to take off his shirt, but he avoided eye contact with Liv. He knew she'd feel self conscious if he caught her looking at him, so he left her alone. He took his time removing it, and once his head was through the hole at the top, he flicked his eyes towards her. But she wasn't looking at his face. Olivia had her eyes zeroed in on his chest. So much for self conscious!

And then he remembered what he'd read in the baby book he recently bought. Somewhere around fifteen or sixteen weeks, the mother's libido goes into overdrive. He should have remembered that two minutes sooner. She was probably miserable, not having an outlet for her needs. And here he was practically putting on a show for her.

Instead of tossing the shirt on top of the beach bag, Fitz held it in front of his chest. "You know, I don't think I'll need any sunscreen today. It's not that sunny."

Olivia blinked several times to snap herself out of the sexual fog she had led herself into. She squinted up at him as the sun blared into her pupils. "I'm sorry. Did you just say that it's not that sunny out here? Are you insane? Your skin is already a shade redder."

"I think I'll be okay." he said nonchalantly.

"Sit down, Fitz before you burst into flames." she advised.

"Don't worry about..."

"Fitz! Sit! It'll only take a second and then you can go play in the water." She chuckled at how much she sounded like her mother in that moment.

Fitz reluctantly plopped down with his back to her and dropped his head.

She grabbed the greasy sides of the sunscreen from inside the bag and flipped open the cap. After squirting a generous amount into her palm, she rubbed them together and touched his shoulders. His skin was warm and firm. She rubbed the lotion haphazardly across his shoulders, down his spine all the way to the waistband of his shorts, and then back up again. Her little hands gently massaged him wherever they touched, and she was enjoying every minute of it.

With his eyes closed tightly, Fitz clenched his jaw and imagined asking Olivia to do his chest. The thought of her little hands roaming and kneading his chest was too much. He abruptly stood up and muttered, "thank you."

Knowing it was a bad idea, but she valued the health of her skin. In a sweet tone she asked, "would you mind putting some on me please?"

Fitz froze in place. He had been so close to walking away and getting into the water he hoped was no warmer than forty degrees to cool off his own overheated libido. He desperately wanted to say no. To save them both from embarrassment, but he couldn't. Not after she had just taken care of him. He heard himself mutter, "sure."

Olivia sat down like Fitz had and waited. She was about to turn around and ask him what the problem was several minutes later, when she suddenly felt his large hands on her back. The only thought running through her head on a constant loop was 'this is a mistake, this is a mistake, this is a mistake.' His hands were big and strong and slick and heavenly. It wasn't hard for Olivia to imagine Fitz giving her a full body massage.

He had his hands on her body. Fitz had been overly careful not to touch Olivia in any way that might be misinterpreted to make her think that he was after something. It had been difficult at times too. He had been there a week, and while seven days didn't seem like anything, there were plenty of moments when he wanted to pull her into his arms and see where the kissing would go. But he had been a perfect gentleman with her. Now that he had his hands on her, with her full permission, those thoughts came back into his head at warp speed.

"That feels sooooo good." Olivia moaned.

Fitz looked up at the water, wishing it would come and drag him out into its cold dark depths. He immediately raised his hands up off her skin. "You're good." he mumbled.

Olivia turned around with a questioning look on her face. "Are you okay?"

He wasted no time. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

"I need to stop touching you. It's...uhhhh, really hard not to imagine doing other things to you and I'm trying really hard to be respectful."

"I know what you mean."

"You do?" he asked with squinted eyes.

"Yea! I'm pregnant. Not dead. I still..." Her eyes widened and she bobbled her head while avoiding his eyes. "Want things."

Fitz put a finger under her chin and directed her to look at him. "We're adults who trust each other, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we should be able to talk to each other about how we're feeling. Even if it is miserable." he explained and winked at her.

Olivia sensed anxiousness in him. "You're dying to go get into the water to cool down, aren't you?"

"Yes!" replied with a grin.

She darted away from him and called out over her shoulder, "last one in has to buy the first drinks" before turning back toward the water. She got exactly three steps away when she felt those amazing large hands grab her waist. She squealed loudly and kicked her feet wildly as he easily scooped her up.

"Oh no you don't!" Fitz chuckled at her. When his feet hit the water, he hooked his left hand under her knees and cradled her wiggling little body as he waded out further into the water. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Fitz!" Olivia half giggled, half demanded. "Don't you dare!"

He held her up out of the water until he got chest high. Tightening his grip on her, Fitz bent his knees and began to lower them into the water.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" she begged through laughter as her grip on his neck became much tighter.

"What's in it for me?" he asked with a grin.

"Always the opportunist." She replied dryly.

Fitz went back to lowering them into the ocean and grinned as Olivia's eyes went wild and she searched her mind for leverage to make him stop. The water was at their chin when she loosened her grip on his neck and began to lean towards him. Caught off guard, Fitz stopped his evil scheme immediately.

Olivia's hand slid up into the thick curls at the back of his neck as she pulled him closer to join their mouths. The kiss was soft and tender but quickly became something else entirely. Fitz set Olivia on her feet and slowly slid his hands up the back of her legs over her ass until they stopped at her waist. He possessively pulled her closer until they were pelvis to pelvis, and still kissing hungrily. He planned to let Olivia do all the leading on this one. He had no intentions of stopping until she made that decision.

The decision was made for both of them when a voice nearby said, "aren't newlyweds adorable?"

Fitz pulled away from Olivia and lifted his head to tell whoever it was to mind their own business, but Olivia put a hand to his chest. "Don't worry about it." she said quietly.

"They thought we were newlyweds." Fitz stated with a scowl.

"So what." she replied. "Is it so terrible for someone to think you might be married to me?"

His face softened. She didn't understand. "No. What I meant was if the two of us were married we wouldn't be at the beach right now."

"But we both love the beach. Where would we be if not here? Please, don't say the mountains!"

Fitz put a finger underneath her chin once again and lifted it, tipping her head back to look up at him. When he had her full attention, his seriously sexy baritone voice told her, "we would never leave the bed. You'd be lucky to get any fresh air at all." He clenched his jaw as his wildest imagination conjured up images of exactly what he just told her.

The aching between her thighs that she felt earlier while covering his back with sunscreen was now a throbbing pain. He was looking at her so intently that she knew he had to be experiencing the same thing. Closing her eyes, she imagined exactly what having an eager naked Fitzgerald Grant would be like. She wondered if the gentle kindness he exuded to her everyday would follow him into the bedroom? Or would he be wild and animalistic?

She had to stop. The throbbing was getting intense.

Squeezing her legs together, Olivia opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "There's more to being married than just sex."

"How would you know?" he shot back with a smirk.

"I..." Good point, Olivia thought. "Well, I wouldn't."

"This is the second time today that the topic of marriage has come up. Don't you find that strange?"

"What are you saying? We should get married?"

Fitz pulled her into his arms and grinned down at her. "It's also the second time today you've proposed to me."

"That...was not a proposal. Neither was what I said earlier at Waffle World. If I propose to you, it'll be good. Great! Fantastic even!" she declared.

"I'll be waiting for this fantastic proposal then." He swiped his thumb across her bottom lip and then leaned down and kissed her again. It became intense in no time at all.

Olivia wiped her heated lips with wet fingers. "Look, we've established that we are grown enough to talk about things. I can't keep kissing you right now."

"Why not?" He knew, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"Because I'm imagining getting you naked in a dark room somewhere and having my wicked way with you. Happy now?"

Her description was so much sexier than what he thought she'd say. He'd been hard ever since his hands grazed her ass. Her words weren't helping matters. "No!" he whined. "let's just...swim." He had to get away from her for a little bit.

Thank God he finally suggested they do something other than make out in the ocean. "I'm going to go lay on my towel for a while. Have fun swimming."

He watched her walk away. When she reached her towel, he bent his knees and submerged his entire body into the water. The lukewarm ocean would have to do until he got back to his hotel room and took a long cold shower.

A little while later, Fitz plopped down on the towel beside Olivia. She was laying on her back with her eyes closed, soaking up some sun. Before his thoughts could run away from him, he said, "Time to get up. I want a drink and you're buying."

"I had just fallen asleep, thank you very much." she complained. Olivia knew the second Fitz had gotten near her. She had missed him and was happy to have him close by once again.

"You can sleep when I take you home later. Come on. I'm thirsty."

"You're not the only one." Olivia muttered. She was thirsty for something other than a drink at this point.

"What was that?" he asked even thought he had heard her perfectly well the first time.

"Nothing." She reached a hand up and Fitz pulled her to her feet. Grabbing her wallet from the beach bag, she told him "let's go."

The two of them held hands as they walked along the edge of the water towards the pier. When they got there, they walked up the damp, sand covered, wooden steps to the platform where a few carts were set up and the restrooms were located. Olivia veered toward the women's restroom to relieve her bladder.

"Ohmygod, can you believe the two pervs in the water earlier?"

"Seriously, get a room please."

"From the looks of things, that marriage was of the shotgun variety." Loud laughter followed the comment.

Olivia went into the stall but continued listening to the conversation.

"Right?!"

"Neither one of them was wearing a ring though. My mother made a comment at how cute they were when we were out there swimming. Totally embarrassing! But the guy is super hot!"

Olivia flushed the toilet and went to wash her hands. All chatter stopped immediately. She could play this one of two ways. She could act like she didn't know they were talking about her and Fitz and be polite, or she could be petty and get even. She chose door number two.

She glanced up at the three of them as she turned on the water. "Hey."

The brunette whispered, "oh shit" but Olivia heard her.

One of the other girls gave her a nervous look. "We're really sorry. We didn't know anyone was in here."

"That was obvious. I didn't like hearing you talk about our wedding like that. We didn't get married because we had to. It was a big beautiful event last year." Olivia put her hands on her belly and smiled. "Looks like this will be our big beautiful event this year."

"Do you know what you're having?" One of them asked.

"I think it's a boy, but I won't know for sure for another two weeks."

"Congratulations. Really."

"You're so lucky."

"Thanks. We're celebrating our one year anniversary, but he still can't keep his hands off me." Olivia dried her hands and before leaving the bathroom gave the girls a smile and added, "We came out of our hotel room to get a little fresh air. Next thing I know we're being called pervs in the water. I guess we should go back up to the room and christen the rest of the surfaces we missed last night and this morning. Bye."

Fitz was waiting just outside the bathroom door and Olivia made a bee line for him. She got up on her tiptoes and pulled him close for a hug. "We're newlyweds" she whispered in his ear. "Play the part and put your hands all over me."

A predatory growled escaped his throat in reply. He wasn't about to ask her if she said what he thought he heard her say. He crushed his lips to hers and grabbed her ass while backing her against a wall. When her back hit the wall with a thud, Fitz grabbed her hands and raised them over her head, pinning them to the same wall as he continued his anxious assault on her mouth.

Olivia was lost in the moment. After the teasing and tortured moments between them earlier, he was providing an outlet and she was going to use it. She wiggled one hand free from his grip and slid a hand between them, letting it slowly travel down his chest. It was what she wanted to do earlier but didn't dare to. The feeling of his ripped chest brought a moan from her mouth. She vaguely heard the three girls from the bathroom whispering about her and Fitz somewhere nearby. As much as she wanted to block them out and keep at what she had started, the petty needed to be taken to the next level.

She broke the kiss on a giggle and playfully swatted at him. "Stop it, babe. We're in public."

Fitz looked at her like she had lost her mind. The comment about being newlyweds had been long forgotten.

Olivia glanced over in the direction of the three teenaged girls. "Oh, look! These are the girls I was telling you about. The ones I talked to in the restroom before you jumped my bones out here."

He had no idea what was happening. He was ready for the teenagers to scoot along so he could get back to his hands on experience. But he smiled and nodded, hoping this was the end of whatever the hell this was.

Olivia pointed at each of them one at a time. "That one called us pervs for making out in the ocean. That one is convinced we had a shotgun wedding because HELLO," she said with a grin, and rubbed her belly with her other hand.

Now Fitz was understanding. These crazy little girls had said mean things to Olivia while she was in the bathroom. That was some bullshit! He was about to say something in her defense, but noticed that his "wife" seemed to be shutting them down one by one by calling them out on what they had said to her. He smiled politely and listened more intently.

"And that one...Well, she thinks you're super hot." Olivia told Fitz.

All three girls were mortified and exchanged nervous wide eyed glances with each other.

"That's flattering, babe but I only care about what you think." Fitz wiggled his eyebrows at her before leaning in and capturing her lips in another heated kiss.

Neither one of them heard the teenagers silently and quickly leave their presence as the kissing quickly turned into an inferno. There was nothing else that mattered near as much as keeping their mouths connected and their bodies pressed firmly together.

Her tiny hand reached the waistband of his swim trunks and she moved it around his hip to his back, where it dipped, and she grabbed a handful of his ass. It was just as firm as she knew it would be. She groaned into his mouth and slid her hand up his back between his shoulder blades and clung for dear life as his tongue danced with hers.

She pulled away to suck in air, and to regain her composure. "I...God, we need to stop."

"No" Fitz replied and dipped his head to take more of her mouth.

Her chest was heaving. This was too much. They shouldn't have played with fire. They were bound to get burned. "I can't."

Fitz grabbed her hand and began leading them to the stairs that went down to the beach. "Yes, you can. We need to see where this goes."

"What? Fitz...I..." Olivia sputtered.

He spun around and looked at her intently. "Tell me you don't want me right now, Livvie. Tell me and we'll go back to the beach and pretend nothing happened."

She opened her mouth to talk.

"But if you can't say the words and mean them, we are going to my hotel room and see what happens next." He tenderly pushed a strand of her hair away from her cheek. He knew his voice probably sounded demanding, like he was leaving her no choice in the matter. He had to clear that up now. "Tell me what you want, Liv. I promise I'll do whatever it is."

She studied his face for a moment. The line on his forehead was back. He was very serious. She knew what she should say but she said the opposite. "Take me to your hotel room. And hurry."


	10. Communication is Key

**Communication is Key**

It took some time for them to go down to the beach and gather up the stuff they had spread out on the sand less than two hours ago. And as usual, it didn't all fit in the bag it had all been previously packed up in, so that made the gathering take much longer than either Fitz or Olivia cared for. He ended up grabbing the bulk of their things in his arms, while Olivia picked up the rest of it and they walked as fast as they could toward his car.

Fitz pressed a button on his keyring, causing the trunk to pop open. Both Olivia and Fitz anxiously threw everything into the trunk and then rushed into each other's arms, kissing feverishly. He pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked on it before breaking the kiss completely. Resting his forehead on hers, he breathlessly asked, "are you sure about this?"

Olivia pulled her head back from his with a surprised expression. "Are you really asking me that right now?"

"I...Well, I feel like maybe I was little too forceful on the pier. I don't want you to think you don't have a choice but to do what I say. That's not what this is, Livvie. I would never do that to you. I would never treat you that way. Your opinion is very important to me." He sounded like a babbling idiot. He wouldn't blame her if she told him to take her home and forget the whole thing.

Olivia moved her head forward, to touch his once again and she offered him a smile. For all of the confidence he exuded most of the time, he was really cute when he was nervous. His voice wasn't as deep, and he kept his eyes closed when he spoke. Like he was trying to think through what he was saying as he said it. Olivia decided she really liked this side of Fitz. She put her hands on his cheeks. "I know that you care about me. I know that you listen to me when I speak, and I know that my opinion counts for something with you. You don't have to reassure me about that, okay?"

He opened his eyes and looked into hers. "Please don't ever doubt that."

"I won't. Now listen to me. I care about you too. I don't feel pressured into anything, and you didn't say anything that I took as forceful. We were in the middle of a heated moment and we both reacted naturally. I trust you. Are you going to stand here in the parking lot and tell me what you're thinking, or are you going to take me to your hotel room and show me?"

Before he had a chance to respond, Olivia tilted her head and roughly pressed her lips to his. She could not get enough of his mouth. Her hands...her hands were still obsessing over his gloriously perfect chest and were once again glued to it. The aching was back, and as much as Olivia needed to get him alone and let him take care of that, she was having a hard time staying away from him long enough for Fitz to take them there.

"This is going to be the longest ten minute drive of my life." he muttered. He grabbed her hands to keep them off his skin until they were alone in his room. "You're gonna have to behave in the car, Liv."

"Whys that?" She asked with a shy smile.

He looked at her little belly. "Because we have precious cargo in the car, and I don't want anything to happen to him or her. Or their mother." Fitz tenderly swiped his thumb across her lips before leaning down to kiss them just as softly.

Olivia was having a difficult time just standing there and being kissed by Fitz. He was saying all the right words and being mindful of the baby growing inside of her. A baby that wasn't his, but one that he still cared about anyway. He was kissing her in a way that was making her head spin and she wanted much more of him. Somewhere, in the darkest recesses of her brain, Olivia heard herself agree with what he just said.

Leading her around the car to the passenger side of it, Fitz opened the door and watched Olivia settle herself in the seat. He shut the door with a loud thud. He needed to calm himself down before he put those anxious hands on her body. He didn't want to be pawing her with reckless abandon like some uncivilized animal. He had about ten minutes to accomplish that. He hoped she would make things a little easier and stay on her side of the car. He sat down in his own seat and started the engine. Looking over at Olivia, he smiled before taking her hand and bringing it to his lips and kissing it.

The drive to the hotel was fairly uneventful. Fitz held her hand as he navigated the car to their destination. He could feel her eyes on him within the confines of the car, and every so often he would turn his head in her direction to let her know that he was just as anxious as she was. They were both far too preoccupied with their thoughts to hold a conversation right now.

He parked the car and they walked through the lobby and got into an elevator. When the doors closed, Fitz took her hand in his. Olivia rested her head against his arm and held onto his forearm with her other hand. She didn't know how to tell him that she was nervous, and a little bit scared. The elevator dinged loudly, breaking her from her thoughts and the doors slid open, welcoming them to the seventh floor. She took a deep breath and followed Fitz to his room.

The room looked familiar to her, but Olivia assumed that since she had cleaned almost all of the rooms in the hotel once upon a time, they all probably looked that way. She glanced around the inside, feeling some kind of deja vu.

"Look familiar?" Fitz asked. He was standing just inside the doorway and wondered if Olivia would put two and two together.

"Yea, but I don't know why." she replied, still looking around.

"This is the room you had been cleaning when you bumped into me out in the hall. Remember that?" He was grinning now.

"Of course I remember that. But how did you remember which room it was? That was a while back."

"I committed the room number to memory because it was the moment that changed my life." He took a few steps closer to her and spread his hands, palms up in front of himself. "Even if it didn't end quite the way I had anticipated."

She found herself grinning right along with him. Olivia was still nervous, but he had just effectively taken the edge off the majority of her nerves with his recollection of that day. He joined their hands once more, and she immediately intertwined their fingers while looking down at them. All of her self doubts came rushing into her mind.

Fitz felt something in her shift. Something was wrong, but Olivia wasn't voicing anything to him. He released one of her hands and brought his index finger to the soft skin under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. He studied her face for a moment. She looked like she was about to jump out of her skin. "Hey. What's the matter?"

Olivia turned her face to avoid looking at him. "Nothing, I..."

But Fitz wasn't having it. He gently directed her face back to his and waited patiently until her eyes met his. "We are two adults who trust each other, right?"

She let out a shaky breath but maintained eye contact with him. "Yea."

"Then talk to me. What's wrong? Whatever it is, we can figure it out together."

"You're gonna think it's stupid." She felt stupid for even thinking it to begin with.

"Hey, I'm not him. Whatever you're thinking or feeling, it's not stupid and I would never say that it is. You can tell me what's on your mind. I'm not going to be mad or get upset, but I can't help, if I don't know what it is, okay?" For the umpteenth time, Fitz wished he knew who her ex was so he could beat the shit out of him for making her feel scared to share her feelings.

"I'm just...I think..."

"Take a breath, Livvie." Fitz advised.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, holding it for a long moment before letting it go. Feeling a little braver, she looked up into his clear blue eyes and said, "I'm scared that you will think I'm bad."

"In bed?" he asked in confusion.

Olivia nodded. She wanted to look away from him more than anything, but she somehow kept his gaze.

"It's not a contest about who is good and who is bad. If I'm being honest, I'm scared that I'm not going to please you."

"What? How could you think that though? You're.." she gestured at him with her hands while holding a shocked expression. "You're freaking sexy as hell!"

"Those are the exact same thoughts I'm having about you."

"Come on, Fitz." Olivia replied in a weary voice. "Don't do that."

"I'm not doing anything. You are super smart and beautiful and funny and for some unknown reason, you think I'm freaking sexy. I'm just an average guy who is starting to..." He swallowed hard before finishing his sentence. "fall in love with you."

He intertwined their fingers once again and said, "this is new to both of us. I don't know what you like or what turns you on and you don't know those things about me either. There is no good or bad. This is a clean slate. A fresh start. This is when we begin to learn those things about each other. We'll probably make some mistakes along the way, but as long as we feel completely comfortable to tell each other when something feels good or when we don't like something, it will go a lot smoother. Communication is the key."

"You're falling in love? With me?" Olivia had vaguely heard him talking about communication being important, but her brain had been stuck on his previous words. He was falling in love with her. It was an absolute wonder that a man like Fitzgerald Grant was falling in love with her.

"It's been pretty hard not to." Fitz admitted with a smile.

"I've been trying to tell myself it's happening too soon. That it can't be possible for me to feel the way I already do about you. I don't even know you. Not really. But..." Jesus, Liv! Just shut up! You sound like an idiot and he's going to...

"Don't do that!' Fitz said firmly. When her eyes met his once again, he said, "don't internally belittle yourself. I know where your self doubts come from, but you need to stop thinking of yourself that way. You are amazing inside and out. Don't ever doubt that. Now, what were you going to say after that 'but'?"

"I'm...I'm falling in love you too." She didn't waste another moment to tell him. She knew if she did, she'd chicken out, and she really wanted Fitz to know how she felt about him. "I've been feeling it ever since that night we talked outside, and I told you everything I'd been hiding from you. You're the first man who I've felt comfortable enough to share all of that with. I mean, I haven't even told my parents yet. I hope that doesn't scare you away?"

"Hell no it doesn't scare me away." He picked her up and spun her around with a big goofy smile on his face. He set her back on her feet. "Just the opposite. It makes me want to be closer to you."

Fitz dipped his head and captured Olivia's lips in a tender kiss. His mouth opened and his tongue slithered into her mouth. The moment it touched hers, he felt Olivia's hands in his hair anxiously pulling him closer. Still, he kept the kiss gentle and began to walk her backwards towards the large bed. When they bumped into it, Fitz broke the kiss and spun them around so that he was sitting down, leaving Olivia on her feet. When he opened his legs, she took a step closer to stand between them.

He saw the hazy look of lust on her face and was turned on beyond comprehension from it. "The way you look at me..." The words he had been thinking had slipped out of his mouth before Fitz had the opportunity to stop them. Remembering his little speech about honesty, he finished the thought. "It's everything. You make me feel loved and important and valued and even...complete somehow. I'm not really...I mean... I'm not explaining it very well."

Olivia cupped his cheek and gave him a smile. She knew very well what he meant. It was absolutely amazing to her that his feelings mirrored her own so well. "You're explaining it perfectly. It's exactly how I feel whenever you look at me."

They took a moment to let their words sink in. To marvel in the knowledge that they felt whole now that they had each other. Not in a desperate or dependent way that bound them or held them down, but rather in a way that made them both feel free and blissfully content. She leaned closer and gently pressed her lips to his.

As content and free as his heart felt, his body wanted nothing more than to take her recklessly and roughly as he pleased. But his brain wanted to give her something more this first time. Something he wasn't sure Olivia had ever experienced before. Tenderness. So, he forced his brain to tell his desire ridden body to chill the fuck out! He broke the kiss before things got out of hand too quickly.

She stood in front of him in her bikini, with her little bump protruding. Fitz looked at her belly with a smile on his face before flicking his gaze up to hers. His expression became more serious when his hands traveled their way up the back of her legs and stopped at her backside long enough for him to get two handfuls and give a gentle squeeze followed by a soft rub. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the bare skin there.

Patience, he told himself.

His anxious hands wandered up her back until they found the tied string there. His fingers felt for one of the ends of the stretchy nylon material and Fitz grasped the end, pulling until he felt a gentle snap, signaling he had successfully untied it. His hands traveled a bit further north to repeat the movements at the strings tied behind her neck.

His eyes flicked back up to Olivia's. They were still hazy, but she gave him a slight nod as she squeezed her legs together. Grasping the untied strings, he pulled the material away from her body, exposing her breasts, and threw it on the floor.

Olivia stood there silently and wondered what he thought of...

"Beautiful." he whispered reverently. He put his hands on her butt and pulled her even closer. He was eye level with her exposed chest and as hard as he was trying to take his time, Fitz eagerly pulled a soft nipple into his mouth an began sucking. He heard her inhale sharply and felt her fingers drag through his hair before gripping it tightly to keep him firmly in place. Fitz enjoyed learning the different ways Olivia reacted to what he did to her body. Keeping at his work, he felt the bud stiffen between his teeth as he teased it mercilessly.

She could do nothing but cling to him and continue squeezing her legs together as hard as she could to attempt to kill the uncontrollable throbbing. It was almost unbearable when Fitz released her overstimulated nipple and latched onto the other one, repeating the same treatment. "More" she whined. It was the only word she could form as she held his head in place, enjoying the feel of his hot mouth on her, half wishing he would stop, half wishing he never would.

Fitz's own head was heavy with lust too, but he managed to hook a finger into the waistband of Olivia's bikini bottoms at her hips and begin to pull them down while he continued to torture her nipple. When they were down at her ankles, his hands traveled up the back of her legs until they reached her ass again. He groaned loudly while his hands kneaded the firm smooth flesh there.

Olivia needed him to stop for a minute. It was too much stimulation and she was going to implode soon. She wasn't used to this kind of intimate attention. Foreplay had always been something that lasted no longer than four or five minutes before the main event began. And sex didn't last much longer than foreplay. Her insides were well on their way to becoming melted gelatin. Fitz had her breathing heavy already and feeling more cherished and important than she ever had before. She loved that they could talk openly about their feelings in these moments of closeness.

She put her hands on his cheeks and tilted his face upwards so she could kiss him. The nerves were still there, but Fitz was doing a superb job at easing the edges of them. She was lost in his kiss, and that was why she probably didn't notice when his hand slid from her ass to her center. The moment his long thick fingers began to play in her wet heat, she jerked away from his mouth and began breathing heavily. Her legs suddenly felt weak. Like they wouldn't keep her upright for much longer.

"Are you okay, Liv?" he asked without stopping.

She shook her head back and forth and licked her dry lips. "I can't."

He studied her face before touching his lips to hers. "Yes, you can. You're almost there now, aren't you?"

She squeezed her eyes shut tight and said, "I don't know what..."

Fitz grabbed her by the hips and picked her up. Twisting his body he laid her down on the large bed behind him and wasted no time settling himself between her legs and opening them wide. He inserted a finger, and then two, and began to move them in and out of her while his tongue went back to its tasty task against her bundle of nerves.

"Ohhhh god! Please Fitz! Faster!" Olivia yelled.

Happy to know he had discovered something she obviously liked Fitz doubled his efforts and kept at it until she screamed his name. While her chest heaved and Olivia curled into a tight little ball on her side, Fitz moved up on the bed and pulled the thin blanket back. He covered her up with it and held her close in his arms as her breathing started to become more regular. Kissing her temple, he asked, "are you okay?"

"I'm so much better than okay. That was fantastic." she raved. She laid her head on his broad chest and started doodling in the soft curly hair.

"Happy to be of service."

"I can repay the favor?" she asked shyly.

He smiled at her. "Maybe another time. For now, I just want to focus on you. Do you think you can handle some more?"

"Mmmm" was her only reply.

Fitz got off of the bed and got to his feet. As Olivia watched intently, he pulled his swim trunks down. He watched her eyes double in size when they left his face and landed on his erect length.

"I don't know if I can take that much more." Olivia admitted, still wide eyed.

"We'll take it slow and see how it goes. No pressure, okay?" He had a feeling once her greedy side took over, she would have no problems whatsoever. He rolled on a condom before he crawled back onto the bed and covered her with his body.

Kisses were such a great tension reliever, and he dipped his head to touch his lips to hers. Before long, he could feel her happily melting into the mattress and pulling him even closer as she returned his heated yet torturously slow kiss. The moment she wrapped her legs around his waist, Fitz started sliding inside of her.

Her lips faltered for a moment as her mind tried to reconcile what was happening to her body. He had effectively used his mouth as a distraction. His body was warm and hard and making her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe ever. She sighed at the happy realization and felt him push himself further inside. He fit like a glove somehow. There was no other way to describe it. Sighing contently she whispered one word before turning her concentration back to the kiss. "Perfect"

Fitz broke the kiss and rested his head in the crook of her neck. He had pushed himself all the way into her and he needed a minute to just enjoy the exquisite feeling of being joined with her. The fact that Olivia had spoken her approval was mind boggling. He had no idea what he had done to deserve her, but he was deliriously happy and determined not to screw it up.

"Fitz?" Olivia whispered.

He lifted his head and looked down at her in concern. He was probably squishing her and the baby. "I'm sorry. I should have kept my weight off of you. I'll try to remember to..."

She smiled up at him as her hands slid down his back and anxiously grabbed his ass. Every part of him felt fantastic. "No, it's not that. I love the feel of your skin on top of mine. Ummm, can you move please? You kinda got things stirred up in me that haven't been in a while and I really need another orgasm."

There was her greedy side. He inhaled deeply with a mischievous grin on his face before his mouth formed a perfect little o. "Olivia Pope! Did you just say the word orgasm out loud?"

She covered her eyes with her hands and giggled. "I hate you so much right now."

"Uh uh. That hate is solely for Abby." He leaned down and kissed her thoroughly as his hips began to move. "Is that better?" He prayed it was because it was better for him.

Her face crinkled from the pleasure and she let out a delirious moan. "Soooooo much better."

He kept things slow and steady. "You feel un-fucking-believable, Livvie."

"Please don't ever stop." Olivia breathed out. She kept her legs locked at the ankles around his waist as if to hold him there forever. She turned her head on the pillow and Fitz dipped his head to kiss and lick her neck. The locked ankles were forgotten, and she craned her neck to give him better access. His mouth on her neck was turning her on like nothing else.

Another new discovery, Fitz thought to himself. Apparently, Liv's go-to spot was her neck. Interesting! She was beginning to pant and as much as he wanted to see what would happen if he stayed in that spot, his tongue blazed a trail down over her collar bone and made a beeline for some more nipple time. The second he pulled it into his mouth, Olivia's hips took on a life of their own. She ground them into his as dark sounds came from her throat.

He released her nipple and lifted his head to look down at her. Sex tousled Olivia was gorgeous. She was warm and eager and shy all at the same time. Fitz found her endlessly fascinating. And beautiful and falling in love with him. Remembering that brought a smile to his face. "Open your eyes and tell me again please."

Olivia's eyes popped open and she looked up to see a strange smile on his face. He didn't need to explain himself. She knew exactly what he was asking her for. She smiled back and said, "I'm falling in love with you."

Those words gave him strength and made him feel on top of the world. His hips moved faster as pride surged through his veins. Underneath him, Olivia began to whimper, but her hips kept up the pace with his.

"Fitz. Please." she begged.

He put his weight on his forearms and thrust deeply into her. "Please what, Livvie? Tell me what you want."

Her core was aching for another release and he was teasing her. She really couldn't wait much longer. She was going to have to tell him. "It's way past want. I need an orgasm. NOW!"

"Mmmmm. I love it when you get vocal and demanding." He concentrated on giving her what she needed. His hips alternated between swiveling and plunging deep inside of her. The more sounds she made and the more she begged the harder he went after the goal. He felt like she might be on the precipice of another orgasm and commanded her, "tell me again!"

Olivia was silent for a moment. She was almost there. She juuuuuuuuuust needed another second or two and then...

"Liv! Say it!" Fitz's voice boomed.

"I'm...oh god...ahhhh...falling in love with you!" she stated loudly and fell over a ledge. Her body felt like it shattered into a million little happy delicious pieces. She was sweating and her chest was heaving as her heart hammered out of her chest as he kept at it another minute before he fell over the ledge too. She suddenly felt completely exhausted. She had to close her eyes, just for a second.

Blinking her eyes a few times, Olivia yawned and stretched. It was quiet. Turning her head side she saw Fitz looking at her. He had the smuggest, most content look on his face she had ever seen. She grinned at him. And then she realized what had just happened. "Ohmygod! Did I..?"

"Fall asleep? Yea. You did." he told her with a grin.

"How long have I been out What time is it?"

"It's about two o'clock. You only slept for about an hour. I guess you were overcome by my skills in the bedroom?" he said with mock arrogance.

"Wow. What happened to the guy who said he was scared he wasn't going to please me?"

He tapped a finger against her nose with his grin in place and said, "your loud screams were a clear indicator that I was taking care of business pretty good."

"I'm sure that was it, instead of the fact that I'm pregnant and tired all the..."

Fitz rolled on top of her and put his hand over her mouth. "Don't ruin it. In my mind it was all me."

She grinned up at him. "You really were amazing. Thanks for letting me sleep."

His face was hovering inches above hers. He rubbed noses with her and said, "You're the amazing one. Can I tell you something? Something that you do that I absolutely love?"

She gave him that shy smile again and tried not to fidget in the bed beside him. It amazed her that Fitz was already making her feel more comfortable with taking about intimate things. "Yea. I'd...like to know."

Holding her in his arms, he smiled back. It was another baby step, and they were starting to add up. He tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "I really love it when you initiate the kissing. It's sexy as hell to me, and it makes me feel desired."

Her smile lost all traces of shyness and held more pride for knowing she made him feel that way. "Well, if we're sharing one thing we enjoyed from this afternoon, then I'd have to say you taking things slow in the beginning put me at ease, and it made me want you even more."

"I didn't know we were sharing one thing we enjoyed from this afternoon. If that's what we're doing then I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you say the word orgasm out loud and demanding that I give you one." Fitz started to chuckle, but it quickly turned into a full belly laugh. Before long, Olivia had joined him. She didn't feel remotely embarrassed either.

She pulled him close for a desire filled kiss and felt immensely proud when she saw it in his eyes. Olivia held onto him and the feeling of pure contentment for as long as she could. "Fitz?"

"Yea?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course you can." She could ask him whatever she wanted to at this point.

"What's your middle name?"


	11. Meet the Parents

**Meet the Parents**

Olivia looked down at her belly. She had just gotten out of the shower and was inspecting herself and noticing the changes that were taking place to her little body. Her hands moved down over the little bump that was now visible. Looking at herself in the full length mirror, she knew she had to have a conversation with Mark soon about her condition. Time was not on her side for keeping it quiet at work any longer. But Mark was the least of her worries today.

Why had she told her mother that she would come home for a visit on her next day off? That was her craziest idea yet, and Olivia already knew how the day would turn out. Her mom and dad would fawn all over her, tell her how much they missed her, beg her to move back home, realize the situation she had gotten herself into, and lecture her until she felt terrible about herself and ultimately went back to the beach town with Abby. Or ask fifty million nosey questions that Olivia didn't want to answer. It was going to be a train wreck of a visit. She just needed a little more time to figure out what she was going to tell them. And how.

Luckily...or unluckily; depending on how you chose to look at it, Olivia was taking Abby with her. Abby would create a good diversion for a portion of the visit. Her parents would ask the redhead fifty million nosey questions. Anything from what kind of family she came from to what her credit score was. And any question aimed at Abby would be one less question aimed at Olivia's surprise pregnancy news. Taking Abby was a good idea.

She stood sideways and her eyes fell to her belly. She looked even bigger from the side! How was that possible? Olivia quickly went to her dresser, avoiding the mirror altogether, and wondered what her chances were at getting out of this visit. Pulling out a bra and some underwear, Olivia held them up in front of her face and rolled her eyes. She would have to start buying both in bigger sizes very soon. Her ass and her boobs were going to become ginormous before long. That's what the baby book said. It was a good thing she was going to see her parents now rather than any later into her pregnancy.

When she had put on her underclothes, she wondered if a loose fitting sundress would help cover up the baby bump she was determined to keep from her parents a little while longer. She dashed to her closet and began rifling through her clothes. Her hand touched a dress she hadn't worn in a long time, and Olivia cocked her head to the side while pulling it from the hanger. It was a sleeveless sundress with a bold print. It was pretty and simple and something she used to practically live in the last few summers. And it had a lot of blue in it. A silent nod to her growing little bean. She smiled to herself and slid it on over her head.

"Are you ready to go yet, or what?" Abby called from the living room.

"Abby, please! I'm stressed out enough about this visit without you adding to it with asking how long it's taking me to get ready." Olivia shot back. She pulled her hair up in her hands while looking into the mirror and securing it in a ponytail. It was too hot to wear it down today.

"You look pretty."

"Can you tell I'm pregnant in this dress?" Olivia asked, propping her hand on her hip. "I was hoping it would hide my belly."

Abby tilted her head and looked her over. "Don't put your hand there. You can kinda see it when your hand is on your hip. Otherwise, your little baby bump isn't visible at all."

"Good. If I can avoid my mother finding out that would make this day so much better."

"You're running out of time to be able to hide it though, Liv. You might as well tell them now. The longer you wait the more difficult it's going to be to tell them. Can you imagine that phone call from the back of an ambulance? 'You're gonna be grandparents soon. Meet me at the hospital.'" Abby chuckled at the mental picture.

Olivia ran a hand over her face. "What if they find out today? How am I going to be able to deal with that?"

"What's the worst that could happen?" Abby asked. "Seriously. Besides them not letting you come back with me? Because that...is not an option!"

The mom to be thought about it for a few minutes before coming up with an answer. "They could decide that they don't want anything to do with either one of us." Her lip trembled at the thought of that becoming a reality.

Abby put her arm around Olivia's shoulder. In a gentle tone she said, "I know that kinda stuff happens sometimes, but if your mother is anything like you say she is, it won't happen to you. She loves you too much."

"What would be the worst thing your mother would say if she found out YOU were pregnant?" Olivia wanted to know.

"She'd want to know who the father was so she could kick his no good ass. She would want to buy me groceries to make sure I'm eating enough. And she would want me to keep in touch with her to keep her updated on how things are going." Abby made a mental note to call her own mother when they got home later on. It had been a few weeks since they had spoken to each other.

"That's not so bad." Olivia sniffed. "Other than her finding out who the father is."

"Mmmyea, my mom is pretty great." Abby chirped.

"My mom is pretty great too." Olivia replied defensively.

Abby bumped shoulders with her best friend and smiled at her. "Then tell her about the peanut. Chances are, she would like to help out with all the baby stuff. You know how moms are. She would feel included and you'd get some help with all the gear."

"I don't want to tell her for selfish purposes, Abs." Olivia chuckled.

"It's not for you. It's for the peanut. Grandparents love doing that kinda crap. Besides, can you imagine her reaction when you tell her about the nursery idea? That woman would be putty in your hands."

"Yea, but..." Olivia began.

"No buts. She's going to understand, Liv. About all of it. Why you left home and started over and kept it quiet. She might be a little upset that you kept it from her for so long, but that's normal. You should give her a little more credit."

"You're probably right. My biggest fear is the asshole finds out where I am somehow. You would definitely be living alone if that ever happened. I just..." Olivia got up and began to pace her bedroom floor. "I mean...He can't ever know, Abby. He just can't!"

Abby gripped Olivia's forearms. "Hey! You need to calm down! Let's take a cleansing breath in."

Olivia folded her arms across her chest and watched Abby breath in.

"Do it, bitch! I'm not living with a stressed out peanut. So, breathe!" Abby commanded.

She rolled her eyes but complied. She felt a little better, so she closed her eyes and did it again. The fear and stress seemed to slide right off of her. Olivia opened her eyes and smiled brightly at Abby before pulling her close for a bone crushing hug. "Thanks, Abs. I...I think I can tell them today."

"That's my girl! Maybe she can come with us to your gender revealing ultrasound next month? Stranger things have happened." The redhead replied with a shrug. "Let's go so I can listen to you change your mind in the car."

Just as the two females were walking out the door, a car pulled into the driveway. When Olivia realized it was Fitz, a huge smile covered her face and she darted in his direction. He opened the door and she launched herself into his arms. In between peppering his face with kisses, she asked, "what are you doing here? I told you I was leaving with Abby to go see my parents."

Fitz held her in his arms and watched her kiss his face. When she had finished, he held her more firmly and said, "I had to see you before you left. I know you're thinking about telling them about the baby."

"What do you think I should do?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter what I think. I'm not a family member, or even the father of the baby for that matter. My vote doesn't count. But I can tell you that whatever you decide to do, I'll support you one hundred percent. As the mother, your decision to tell them or not to tell them is the right one. I think you'll know when you get there what you should do. I'll be here when you get back to hear all about it."

"Really?" Olivia asked with a smile. Her eyes dropped to his chest, and she noticed for the first time that Fitz had on a jacket and tie. "What's with the fancy clothes?"

He sighed. "I have a meeting with my father when I leave here. It's about the hotel and the expansion. It's a bunch of boring business stuff."

"Your father is here?" Olivia asked with a smile. "I'd love to meet him before he goes back to California."

"You would? Really?" Fitz watched her nod excitedly. "What if we went to dinner one night this week with him?"

"That would be great. I'm off on Thursday and Friday nights. Maybe it'll work out with his schedule?"

"You're amazing." Fitz touched his lips to hers, intending on a peck, but that idea was gone the moment his mouth was on hers. Once his tongue snuck into her mouth Fitz just couldn't seem to stop kissing her. Olivia didn't seem to have anywhere to go suddenly because her fingers wound their way through his hair, and she pulled him closer.

Fitz broke the kiss and grinned while acting like the whole thing was Olivia's fault. "Hey, hey, hey! Control yourself please."

"Are you talking to me?" Olivia asked with a grin of her and looking around. "Because I didn't start that fire. That was all you, mister."

"Mmmm. I like that nickname. It's very sexy." Fitz touched his lips to hers once again, and once again Olivia sank into it willingly.

"Hey! Can the two of you put on a public show on another day? We have to get going now." Abby chimed in.

Neither Fitz nor Olivia acknowledged the redhead's presence. "I understand why you hate her now." Fitz told Olivia with a smile. "Just kidding, Abby. We love youuuuu."

He leaned closer and acted like he was going to kiss her on the cheek. "Ew! Beat it, perv. Come on, Liv. We have parents to impress."

"Call me later!" Fitz called out as Abby pulled Olivia towards the car.

"What do you want me to call you?" Olivia asked in a sultry voice.

Abby shot Fitz a glare. "You turned Liv into a perv too? Great! Bye, Fitz."

"Bye, Livvie." Fitz called out. He watched her blow him a kiss before he got into his own car and headed towards his dreaded meeting.

The car ride took almost five hours, and in that time, Olivia had talked herself into and out of telling her parents about the baby at least a dozen times. Her and Abby were about a half hour away from her parent's house when Olivia asked Abby to find a fast food joint for her to pee again. "This kid is parked on my bladder these days."

"Having the baby on the inside in the easy part, Liv. The hard part is at the end. That's just a guess though." Abby said with a shrug. "I'm gonna get a frappe. You want anything?"

"A bottle of water." Olivia replied.

Olivia had relieved her bladder and washed her hands. She had her used paper towel in her hand and was gripping the door handle to open it and rejoin Abby, when she heard a woman on the other side of the door call out, "I'll be right back, Collin. I gotta pee. Order meeee..."

She froze in place as the voice droned on. It couldn't be. It was the same name as her ex and the baby's father. Collin wasn't that common of a name, and she and Abby were only a half hour from her parent's house. It was possible that he could be out in the dining area. Her hands went protectively to her belly. After freaking out for what felt like an eternity, Olivia grabbed her phone from inside her bag and called Abby. She explained the situation in rushed nervous sentences. "What do I do?"

"I got this. Stay on the phone, okay?" Abby stated confidently.

Olivia heard her best friend say in a loud voice, "Is there a Collin in here?" Olivia slapped a hand against her forehead disgustedly from the confines of the bathroom.

Through the line, Olivia heard a voice say, "My name is Collin."

Abby looked him up and down and then smiled brightly. "My horoscope said I'd meet a guy named Collin inside a McDonalds. What are the odds? Nice to meetcha."

Olivia looked at her phone with a crinkled face. "Is she serious right now?"

"Can I take a selfie with ya, Collin?" Abby asked.

"Why doesn't she just ask him for his social security number while she's at it." Olivia mumbled and rolled her eyes as she ended the call. Abby was no help at all.

A moment later Olivia's phone dinged. Abby had sent the picture she had taken with Collin and captioned it with, "false alarm."

She looked at the photo and stifled a giggle. Beside Abby was what appeared to be a twelve year old boy. The boy was stick thin with blonde hair and a face full of acne. Olivia didn't have anything sarcastic to say about the boy. He was somebody's son after all, and if anyone even tried to say anything mean about her son, Olivia just knew it wouldn't end well for the smart mouthed person. She dropped her phone into her bag before exiting the restroom, walking outside, and heading straight for the car.

"Hey! What's the rush?" Abby huffed trying to keep up with her.

"My horoscope said I'd meet a Collin in a McDonalds? Seriously? That was insane. You know that, right?"

"What?" Abby asked flippantly. "He was just a kid. He doesn't know that horoscopes aren't that specific. Or that accurate. You got the answer you needed, didn't you? You're welcome, by the way!"

"Thank you, but in the future can you please not embarrass a kid in a room full of strangers?"

"He was a cute kid. He had a good sense of humor too. Besides, I took a selfie on his phone too. I bet he shows it off at school tomorrow after coming up with a wild story about how I made out with him or something equally ridiculous." The redhead grinned at her passenger before sliding her sunglasses on her face and starting her car.

"That's the driveway right there." Olivia pointed out a half hour later.

Abby turned right and stopped the car in front of a small brick house. "Cute house."

Olivia turned in her seat, looked Abby in the eye, and said, "tell me again that this is going to be fine."

"It may get loud or, yanno, a lot of questions might get asked, but it's absolutely going to be fine. And if they don't calm down and treat you with respect and become tickled pink at the news of becoming grandparents, I'll make up some excuse about leaving the iron on at home and we'll be outta here fast. I promise."

"Do we even own an iron?" Olivia asked.

"No. But they don't know that. Hell, if I could get Collin to take a selfie with me as a result of a lie, I'm pretty sure..."

The front door of the house opened and a small woman who was a foot taller and slightly rounder than Olivia dashed outside. "Ohmygodmybabyishome!" she shrieked.

"Collin is nowhere near her level." Olivia said quietly as she watched her mother barrel towards the car like a crazy person.

"Oh wow. This is gonna be interesting. But don't worry, I got you." She told Liv before the passenger car door was excitedly flung open. "Mrs. Pope! It's so great to finally meet you."

Marie never paid a bit of attention to Abby but unbuckled Olivia's seatbelt. Her hand brushed across Olivia's firm little belly in the process, and Marie instantly froze. She locked her wide eyes with Olivia's fearful ones and said, "Olivia Pope! Are you...pregnant?"

It was dead silent inside the car for a solid thirty seconds.

Abby broke the silence by throwing up her hands with a big grin and loudly saying, "SURPRISE!"

Marie glared at the redhead until her hands went into her lap and she stopped smiling. Damn, Liv's mom was hardcore.

"I asked you a question!" Marie declared.

Olivia took a deep breath in, but this time she didn't feel any better. Her mother was still there, and she was still upset. So much for not telling them today. "I am." Olivia replied quietly. "It's one of the reasons I came to visit. I planned to tell you today."

Her mom pulled herself from inside the car, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and pursed her lips at her only child. "You planned to tell me today? That was part of your master plan? How is that the truth when I had to practically beg you to come home to see us?"

"Well, I..." Olivia began.

"How far along are you?" Marie asked impatiently.

Olivia turned to Abby and gave her a pleading look.

"Olivia! I am talking to you!"

"I am sixteen weeks."

"Sixteen weeks? You've been gone for six. Did you know you were pregnant before you left?" When her daughter was quiet, Marie added, "you did, didn't you?"

Olivia got out of the car and followed her mother as she began to make her way back into the house. "Yes, I did. But I had to leave."

Marie turned around and asked, "Why? Why did you have to leave? What was so important that you felt that running away was the right thing to do?"

Olivia began to cry. This wasn't how she wanted to tell her mom about that baby. This wasn't the reaction she thought she would get. She knew her mom would be upset, but this was more than even she expected. She hadn't even gotten the chance to say hello before her mom found out the news. It was a lot to deal with.

Abby put her arm around Olivia and stood up to her friend's mother. "Because the baby's father is a hateful jerk. That's why!"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Abby, and Liv is my best friend."

"Abby, this is a family matter. You need to stay out of it and let us talk it through."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Pope, but no!" Abby said defiantly.

"Did you just tell me no?" Marie asked.

"I did, and I'm sorry. I've been anxious to meet you because I've heard great things about you from your daughter. But I can't let you stand there and talk to her like that. Not in her condition. And just so you know, Liv is my family. And I'm hers. I've been in this since she moved to our little town and I'm staying in it!" Abby nodded curtly. When Olivia's mother continued to stare at her in silence, the redhead momentarily wondered where the coroner would find her body when he was called to the residence.

Marie stared at Abby until she squirmed on her feet. "I like you. You tell it like it is."

Abby grinned at Mrs. Pope.

Turning to her daughter, in a much calmer tone, Marie said, "what was so terrible that you felt like you had to leave home?"

Olivia put her hand protectively on her belly and said, "the baby's father demanded that I get an abortion." She shrugged. "I just...couldn't."

"What do you mean, demanded?" Marie asked as she propped her hand on her hip.

"I mean, he didn't want to talk about it when I told him that I was pregnant. He didn't want a baby and he didn't want me to have a baby. He gave me enough money to get rid of it and he thought that's what I did. Until I stopped texting and calling him. I couldn't get rid of this baby, mom. I just couldn't."

"Of course you couldn't. Come here." Marie held her arms open and watched her baby step into her embrace. "No man is going to tell you what to do. Not unless he puts a ring on your finger. And even then, he'd better make it sound like a suggestion. Does this crazy man know where you are? That you're still pregnant? Anything at all?"

"He can't know any of it, momma. I'm going to have this baby by myself and I'm going to raise it by myself. I don't need his permission. He doesn't need to know shit."

Marie jerked her head back and gave her daughter 'the look'.

Olivia was about to back down and apologize profusely for swearing in her mother's presence. But then her mother grinned at her, and Olivia returned it and said, "well...He doesn't!"

"That's my girl." Marie put her hand on Olivia's belly and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she flicked her eyes to her daughter's and said, "she sounds good in there. Healthy too."

Abby's eyes had been playing ping pong between the two Pope women. She had expected a smack down several times already at different parts of the conversation, but just when she had anticipated it the most, they made nice with each other. She had stood up to Mama Pope and she wasn't about to be left out of this thing. "She? Liv says the peanut is a boy."

"Peanut?" Marie spat out. "My grandbaby is not a peanut! She is a beautiful soul with a very brave and wonderful mother."

"I told you peanut was a stupid nickname!" Olivia whispered to Abby.

"Shut up! I love your mom, but I'm scared of her at the same time. Besides, it's not about you anymore! It's about the beautiful soul!" Abby stuck her tongue out at Olivia.

"Momma?" Olivia sang. "I'mmmm pretty sure this little bean is a boy. Not a girl."

She stopped walking and turned to face her daughter. "Have you had an ultrasound yet?"

"No."

"Then you don't know what you're having yet. It could be a boy, like you think. Or it could be a girl, like I know. Do you have one scheduled? An ultrasound?" Marie asked.

"Yea, it's two weeks from tomorrow. Do you want to come?" Olivia offered. "I could get you the...Momma? What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

"You broke her, Liv!" Abby shrieked.

"Ohmygod!" Olivia muttered. She took another deep breath in and calmly let it out. "You don't have to cry, momma. It's just an ultrasound, and I would love to have you there."

"You would?" she sniffed.

Olivia nodded and held her tight. "I've missed talking to you. I had no idea what to expect the past several weeks. I really could have used your expertise since you've been through it before."

"I've missed talking to you too baby. I had a feeling something was up the last time we talked on the phone. I don't know what I thought it was. Certainly not this. But something. I'm really glad you told me about it. Of course, that means I'll be worrying about both of you now."

"Momma!" Olivia whined.

"I've got her, Mama Pope. If you will give me your phone number before I leave, I'll let you know when she's being a pain in the aaaa..." Abby noticed Marie's raised eyebrow and changed her word choice. "...butt. And then you can call her and straighten her right out! How's that sound?"

Marie looked from Olivia to Abby and then back to Olivia. A grin covered her face. "This could work."

"Ohmygod Abby! I hate you sometimes." Olivia exclaimed.

"Now we just gotta tell Liv's dad. That's gonna be the hard part." Abby said.

"Excuse me? What was telling me, a walk in the park?" Marie asked.

"Hell no! Far from it!" Abby blurted out.

"Where is daddy?" Olivia asked with a nervous smile.

"He's gonna kill her, isn't he? And then I'm going to have to pull a weekend at Bernie's thing at work. Well no thanks, Liv. I'm not..."

The front door swung open and out stepped a tall thin man. He was grinning like a lunatic and his eyes fell on Olivia. "I thought I heard my lil bit out here!"

"Daddy!" Olivia ran into his opened arms and held him for a long moment. "I've missed you, dad."

"I've missed you too, Olivia." It felt good to have his arms around his baby girl again, and Aaron Pope held on tight. He kissed her on the temple and said, "let me take a look at you."

Olivia saw his face the moment he realized exactly what was different about his daughter. His eyes got a little bigger and stayed glued to her belly. "Well?" he asked expectantly.

She couldn't stand knowing she had let him down too. Tears stung her eyes. She had to face up to him. With her eyes closed, and in a voice barely above a whisper, Olivia said, "dad...I"

"Where's my I'm gonna be a grandpa t-shirt?" Aaron asked with a grin. He hated to see his daughter anything but happy. She was in for a difficult next eighteen years. She didn't need for him to make it worse. Besides, he really had missed having her around. Seeing her cry was breaking his heart. He saw her head snap up and look at him. "Jeffery across the street over there got one of those shirts when his middle boy and his wife told them they were having a baby. He wore it for almost a month straight. If he gets a grandpa shirt, then I have to have one too. So, uhhhh, where is it?"

Olivia gave a watery chuckle. She was so thankful to have a father who loved her so much. She mustered up a smile and said, "I left it at home, but I'll bring it next time. I promise."

"Well, do you know what you're having at least? You know I'm partial to girls." He gave his only child a wink and a grin.

"It's a boy." Olivia stated.

"It's a girl." Marie told them.

"It's a mystery." Abby added with a chuckle. "No one knows for sure what this baby's gender is quite yet."

"But I'll find out in two weeks, and I'd love it if you and momma came to my appointment to hear it for yourselves." Olivia told her parents.

"I think we're available that day." Aaron told his daughter. It didn't matter if something was on the calendar, it would immediately be changed. He was going to the ultrasound of his grandchild.

"Daddy, you don't even know what day it is yet." Olivia said.

"It doesn't matter. We'll be there for the peanut." he replied.

Abby grinned widely at her friend. "I think your dad and I just became besties."

"Ohmygod" Olivia muttered impatiently.


	12. Surprises of All Kinds

**Surprises of All Kinds**

"It's fine. Really."

"I can't tell if you're being honest or just super nice?" Olivia replied nervously.

"Super nice." Mark replied with a wink. "But I do love babies."

"You do? I've never gotten that vibe from you before." Olivia had come at the end of her shift to tell her boss about her pregnancy. She was sitting in a chair on the other side of Mark's desk and had just spilled the beans amid a dozen apologies. He was taking the news much better than she had expected, and it was suspicious to say the least.

"How many times have you seen me with a baby?"

Olivia thought about that for a minute. "Never."

"Exactly. So how would you know? Besides, I've had my suspicions that you were pregnant for a while now." He shrugged.

"You did? Why didn't you say anything to me?" she asked.

"Because the last time I congratulated a woman on her pregnancy, she wasn't actually pregnant." Mark explained. "I was not about to go down that road again! Not with one of my employees."

"Oh my goodness." Olivia covered her mouth with her hands to stifle the laughter.

Mark smiled at her. "I'm glad you told me."

"I didn't want to, but my growing belly was leaving me with no choice."

"Am I that scary of a boss to tell news this exciting to?" Mark didn't understand her fears but wanted to.

Olivia took a deep breath in and let it go. It was becoming a great way to reduce stress for her lately. She decided to tell him the truth. "Honestly, I was scared that once you found out the truth, I would be put at the top of the list of new hires who would be let go once summer ended."

"Ahhhhh." Now it made sense to him.

"I really love it here. And the people. And...now I need the job more than ever to support myself and this baby." She shrugged. "I guess I was being selfish by not telling you. I'm really sorry about that. But if I am let go at the end of the season, I'll understand. I'll even come by and visit once the baby gets here. I'll figure out something. It'll be fine. Maybe even great. I've already started looking around and..."

She was getting worked up again. She needed to stop. It wasn't good for the baby.

"Olivia." Mark began patiently with a smile.

"Yea?" she said timidly as she looked down at the floor.

"You're not going to be let go. Pregnancy or not."

Her head snapped up to his face. "I'm not?"

"No. You're great with our guests. You go above and beyond to make them feel comfortable. You get amazing reviews on our website once they leave..."

"We have a website?"

"...And great comments are made to management about you before some of our guests even get to their rooms."

"They are?"

"You are a fantastic addition to our family."

"I am?" Olivia could feel the tears threatening to spill over at any moment. "I try really hard."

"We couldn't part with you when the summer ends."

"You couldn't?" She was going to be able to keep her job? That was the best news in the world right now. She couldn't wait to tell Abby!

"In fact, you are due for a pay increase in two more weeks."

"A raise? Really?" The news just kept getting better and better.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but your name has been added to the list of potential promotions. I'll be honest and say that since you've only been with us a short time it might not happen, but it's a really big deal for you to have gained the attention of management so quickly. You should be proud of yourself."

The tears were rolling down her cheeks and there wasn't a thing Olivia could do to stop them. She had anticipated and prepared herself for his reaction to be filled with anger and disappointment followed by an early dismissal. But this...this was the complete opposite. Mark was telling Olivia that her job was secure, that guests liked her, that she was due a raise, and that her hard work had been noticed by the people she reported to. It was an amazing feeling.

"I didn't mean to make you cry." Mark said in a concerned voice. He offered her a box of tissues. "This is good news."

She wiped at her eyes and gave a watery chuckle. "This happens all the time now. I'm fine one minute and a mess the next. I'm sorry."

"You've had a habit of saying that quite a bit ever since you started working here. I'm sorry. I don't know if you realize it or not?" Mark told her gently. "But it's completely unnecessary. You have nothing to be sorry for. You're a good person, Olivia and you work hard. It's starting to pay off. You should be very proud of yourself."

Olivia let his words marinate for a minute. He was right. She apologized to everyone all the time. It was one of those things that she blamed Collin the asshole for. She was done thinking like that and she was done putting herself down. Taking another cleansing breath in and letting it go, Olivia smiled at her boss from across his desk. "You're right. I'm going to work on not doing it anymore. I really appreciate you being so good to me, Mark. I'm going to work extra hard to make sure this pregnancy doesn't affect my work too. I'm not due until late November so it shouldn't be a problem. Thank you for everything. Really."

He smiled at her. "You're welcome. Really. And, if you happen to have a son, Mark is a great name. Just keep it in mind."

"And on that note, I'm going home." she chuckled and got to her feet. They shook hands and Olivia made her way towards the lockers to retrieve her purse. She'd gotten in the habit of keeping her phone in her pocket to text Fitz during slow times during her shift, but knowing that the higher ups were noticing her, Olivia decided she was going to try to be a little more professional while at work. It would have to be kept in her locker from now on.

Her phone vibrated in her hand before she even reached the employee lounge. Looking down at it, a happy smile instantly bloomed across her face when she saw who the message was from. Olivia saw the words WHERE AM I along with a picture of Fitz. Her feet stopped while her fingers anxiously moved at lightning speed over the face of it to see if she could figure out where he was.

When she opened the photo, a low moan rumbled from her throat as she saw exactly where he was! Olivia jerked her head up and her wide surprised eyes gawked around to make sure no one was close enough to see her phone as she protectively pulled it close to her chest. Walking to an empty chair with no one around, she plopped down and hunched over the phone once again.

Fitzgerald Grant was sitting in the tub!

Using her thumb and index finger, Olivia widened the photo to get a better look. The short dark curls on his chest, the same ones Olivia liked to lay her head on or drag a finger through, were matted against his skin. The curls on his head were slicked back and Fitz wore a serious, almost inviting expression. His right hand was behind his head like he was the most relaxed he had ever been in his life. His bicep was bulging as rivulets of water ran down over it. As Olivia's eyes dipped lower, she noticed that the bath water stopped just above his belly button. The bottom of the photo showed nothing else. Dammit!

As she sat there enjoying dirty thoughts over this ridiculously sexy and clean man, he text her again. Her eyes flicked up to the message.

Come up to my room. I have something for you

Her brain went into overdrive thinking of the different ways she could have that something he had for her. Again, Olivia's eyes took in her surroundings to make sure she still had privacy. Deciding to play his little game, she messaged him back with a wicked smile on her face.

Show it to me

She bit her lip and nervously waited for his reply. The three blinking dots had her on the edge of her seat.

I want to see your face when you see it

Of course he did, Olivia thought. How was she supposed to respond to that? As she tried to come up with something fun and witty, he text her again.

Better hurry. I'm about to get out of the tub

She was not missing that! Slinging her purse strap over her shoulder, she strode towards the elevators with purpose. The damn thing seemed to take forever as the terrible music droned on once she got inside. Finally, the number seven lit up, the box dinged, and the metal doors slid open soundlessly. Olivia practically ran to his room. With a hand on the doorknob, she took a second to catch her breath. Digging in her purse, she pulled out a keycard to his room and swiped it under the door handle. When the light turned green, she casually went inside.

Fitz poked his head out the bathroom door and watched as Olivia's eyes fell to the fluffy white hotel towel that hung from his hips. He grinned knowing she probably thought she'd catch him still in the tub and went to stand in front of her. "You look disappointed."

Her eyes flew up to his face. "What? No! I was just...ummmm...Noticing that you have a scar on the top of your foot."

She was the cutest little liar. Still, he looked down at his right foot. "Yea. I got that riding my bike barefoot when I was nine."

"Ouch! Did you have to get stitches?"

"Does it really matter right now?"

"Where's my present?"

He grinned down at her before dipping his head and letting his lips hover over hers. "I love your greedy side, Livvie."

Olivia stretched her neck in his direction, effectively closing the distance between them and connecting their lips. Her hand slithered around to the back of his neck to hold him place while her greedy side took over the kiss. It was hungry and demanding and deliciously unlike any kiss she had ever given anyone before.

As she gripped the bulging bicep Fitz had shown off in his bath photo, Olivia discovered that his skin was warm. It made her want all his warm skin covering all of hers. She began walking him toward the bed to get that underway. He smelled good too. Clean. Like the soap he used that had some manly scent to it. It was a bit distracting as she tried to have her way with his mouth. She hoped he didn't have anywhere to go because she was about to dirty him up again.

Was she stealing his little meeting? Fitz felt himself being pushed towards the large bed in his room and couldn't help the smile that played at his lips. His sweet little Livvie was taking charge! Well, good for her, Fitz thought to himself. He wondered what she had on her mind to do with him. Sex wasn't what he had planned when he told her that he had something for her, but he could see how she would have come to that conclusion with the picture he had sent of himself. And he wasn't going to argue over the change in itinerary.

Mental note to self, Liv gets worked up over sexy pictures.

Later on, he'd get around to giving her the baby thing he had bought for her while he was out that afternoon. He just knew her little peanut or bean or whatever the hell Liv called him right now would love it. She'd love it too. And, truth be told, he had loved baby shopping. He could have stayed in the baby store for hours looking at every tiny thing. He planned to go back and buy some more things for the baby after she had her ultrasound and knew for sure what she was having.

"Fitz?" Olivia said breathlessly in his ear.

"Mmmm?" he replied. He couldn't think with her doing that.

"Whatever you're thinking about, turn it off. I'm trying to take advantage of you." She nipped his earlobe before pulling away from his neck and pushing him back on the bed.

He leaned on his elbows and looked up into her chocolate eyes full of desire. "Holy fuck. You are sexy when you're in control."

"Open the towel." she commanded.

He couldn't move. Fitz was turned on beyond reason. He would do her bidding all day every day...once he got himself out of the trance she had him in.

"Do it!" she ordered. It felt good to know he thought she was sexy. She thought she was being silly, but now that she knew Fitz liked it, she was going to keep it up.

Damn! Now that he remembered how to move, he wasn't sure he wanted to. It would end the moment. Still, he was curious as to what she'd do next. Grabbing the edge tucked against his hip and keeping eye contact with her, Fitz slowly pulled it loose. And then pulled it across his body and dropped the edge on the bed. He was still covered with the other end of the towel and the frustration was written on Olivia's face. He gave her a smug grin. "Now what?"

"Open the other side and I won't leave teeth marks when I put my mouth on you." He was going to think she was ridiculous and laugh.

Fitz sat up quickly and gripped her chin, giving her a stern look to go with the stern warning. "Don't!"

She knew exactly what he meant. He wanted her to stop belittling herself in her mind. Getting back into bad bitch mode, Olivia slapped his hand away. Putting her hand on his chest, she pushed him back down on the bed. The little nod and raised eyebrow he gave her didn't go unnoticed.

The damned towel hadn't moved, even with him sitting up. She wanted to roll her eyes but instead looked into his electric blue ones and then down at the towel. "Do it, Fitz. And do it now!"

There really wasn't much left uncovered at this point. With her voice back in that hot authoritative tone, Fitz had a tent situation going on underneath it. Reclining back on his elbows, he casually looked up at her while pulling the other side away from his body. He was wearing nothing but the smirk on his face, but he watched her eyes eagerly feast on his skin from where she stood. Again, he wondered what she would do next.

He wasn't prepared for it.

With her eyes on his prize, Olivia stood in front of him and took off her clothes. She could tell that he was eager to touch her. He might have even been tempted to grab her, but the look she sent him had Fitz keeping put on his spot on the bed.

She got on her hands and knees at the edge of the bed and started crawling towards him. When her hand made contact with his muscular thigh, she gripped it with her fingernails and began moving up his body. Olivia dragged her nails down his fuzzy muscular inner thigh and watched his mouth open and his eyes close as strangled sounds came from him. Having all the power and knowing that Fitz's reactions were because of what she was doing to him was such a high.

Her fingers traveled a little higher and she wrapped them around his hard length and began to stroke him. He dropped lifelessly to his back and made encouraging sounds. Olivia flicked her eyes up to his chin as she leaned closer and took him into her mouth.

Fitz inhaled sharply and sat up as straight as he could. Her mouth had just caught him off guard. "Liv! You...mmmm...you don't have to...shit!...do that. I...god...what was I saying."

She gave him a look and pushed him back down as her head bobbed up and down over him.

Olivia was most definitely going to be the death of him. It wasn't long before he told her, "you gotta stop, Liv. I...I can't...I mean, I...dammit...I don't want to end it this way. Please."

Olivia glanced up at him. With her eyes still on him, she gripped the sides of him with her teeth and started drawing her head back.

"Fuck Liv! Stop!" He gripped her head. "you're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

She giggled when she was free of him. "You loved it and you know it."

"I did love it. That's the problem." Fitz admitted. "I'd love to see just how long I could last with your mouth working me over like that."

Olivia eagerly leaned towards his lap, but Fitz held her off.

"Your greedy side is really greedy, but another time, Livvie. Right now, I don't have the patience for that." He got to his feet and went to the foot of the bed while looking down at her like prey. "Right now, I want to get my hands on you."

"Do it" she challenged him.

Fitz grabbed her ankle and pulled her towards him. He stopped his attack long enough to tell her, "if I hurt you, please tell me and I'll stop."

"I'm not made of glass, Fitz."

"I'm not going to hurt you either. You're pregnant. So please tell me if I do."

Olivia kicked her foot free from his grasp and got up on her knees. Pointing a finger in his face she emphatically told him, "just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean..." She squealed before the air was knocked out of her as Fitz swept a hand behind her knees, effectively knocking her flat on her back.

He crawled up her body, much like she had done to him. He was careful to keep his weight on his forearms and off her. He dipped his head and ran the side of his nose along hers. "Hi."

She was grinning up at him as her arms wound around his neck. "Hi."

"I know you're not made of glass or breakable, but I want to be careful with you just the same."

"Yea, but..." she began.

"No buts, Livvie." Fitz interrupted. "Your body is working on a miracle, growing your baby. It's important to me that you're comfortable all the time."

"Really?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, really." he assured her.

"That's awfully sweet."

"It is, isn't it?" he replied with a lopsided smile and rubbed his foot against hers. "Something sweet like that deserves a prize or something."

"You think so?" she teased.

"MmmmHmmm."

Sliding her hand to the back of his neck, Olivia gently pulled him down for a kiss that very quickly had them both grasping for each other's bare skin and moments later, air. Swallowing her fear and hanging onto her boldness, Olivia looked up at him and asked, "how's your sense of adventure?"

He jerked his head back and grinned at her again. "Are you talking about sex or asking me to go hand gliding with you?"

"Never a dull moment with you, Mister." she replied with a grin of her own before her voice got shy. "I don't want to tie you up or hit you with a whip. Just try...a...different position."

This just got interesting. Fitz was going to encourage her to be more vocal from now on. She was full of surprises. He sat up beside her and asked, "what did you have in mind?"

She shut out all thoughts of embarrassment, for fear that he would read her mind somehow and reprimand her for it again. She got on her hands and knees beside him and said, "this is what I want. Right now."

Fitz scrambled off the bed like a blur. He went to the bedside table and grabbed a condom from the pack he had thrown in there before getting in the tub.

So, maybe sex had floated through his mind before he sent the picture.

He began to roll the condom on as he explained things to her. "This is actually a good choice because this position has several benefits. It keeps my big body off the baby and you so you can breathe without suffocating or...feel like you'd offend me if you asked me to get off you."

Getting back on his knees behind her on the bed, Olivia looked over her shoulder with a crinkled forehead. "What are the other benefits?"

"It feels reallly good." She chuckled at him as Fitz griped her hips once more, lined himself up, and pushed himself all the way inside of her heat with one steady push.

Olivia gripped the sheets tightly in her fists, arched her back, and let out a low whining sound. Dropping her head, she let out a breath and said, "do that again!"

Fitz smirked at the back of her head and complied immediately. The sounds she made had him quickening his thrusts. It felt amazing to be that deep inside of her. He'd intended to go slow and steady, but that plan flew out the window the second she started demanding and moaning and cursing and begging. He was lost in his thoughts of her but was brought back to reality when her greedy side demanded his attention.

"I've said it before and I'll say it once more, whatever the hell you're thinking about...turn it off! I know you'll embarrass me about this later," She pushed her ass back against his crotch and ground it in a circle as he made grunting sounds. "but I want an orgasm, and that's your job right now so get busy!"

That little speech gave him renewed purpose. Gripping her hips tighter, Fitz began pummeling into her repeatedly. Liv called out for Fitz, for god, and for him to never stop. All it did was drive him to keep at his task. He slowed down and went from jackhammering into her with reckless abandon to thrusting deeply once, withdrawing immediately, waiting five seconds, and doing it all again.

Liv poked her butt out further but said nothing.

"You like that?" he asked. They were still figuring out what each other liked in bed.

"God, yes." she purred.

Fitz kept at the slower pace, drawing out Olivia's pleasure. One of his hands released its hold on her and slithered around to her center when his long thick fingers quickly found her bundle of nerves and began to play her like an instrument. He kept at it for as long as his body allowed him to. When holding back was no longer an option, he gripped her hips tighter and went back to hammering into her wildly.

Olivia's body was tense, her heart was pounding, her breathing was shallow, and her eyes were tightly shut in concentration. She was right on the brink of release, and in that moment, she thought she would surely die from the blissful pleasure Fitz was giving her. "Fitz! Fitz! Fitz! Ohmygodjustlikethat!" she begged.

He followed right behind her with a quick thrust and a loud grunt as his body emptied. Not really wanting to, but knowing it needed to be done, Fitz went into the bathroom to get rid of the condom. He grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge and went back to the bed Olivia was starting to slowly crawl into. He handed her the water and went to the white crinkly bag on the small round table nearby.

"Whatcha got in there?" Olivia asked from her spot in the middle of the bed.

Fitz pulled back the sheet and got in beside her, putting his arm under her head and pulling her close. "I guess you'll have to open it to find out."

Olivia sat up with the sheet held against her chest with one hand. She gave Fitz the half full water bottle in exchange for whatever was in the bag. Grinning at him, she said, "you really did have something for me?"

"Obviously."

"I thought you were talking about your body." she admitted with a grin.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't mean that too." He leaned over and pecked her lips. "But I saw this today and I had to buy it."

He was a sneaky so and so. Olivia pulled open the handles of the bag and peered inside. She turned her head to the side to get a better view, and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes darted up to his and she felt the tears begin to form even though they were happy tears.

"Are you gonna take them out of that ugly bag or cry all over it?" Fitz teased.

"You..."

"Don't tell me I didn't have to." Fitz said, gently cutting her off and rubbing a hand up and down her arm. "I know that. I wanted the little bean to have them in the nursery. Come on. Let's get a better look."

Olivia reached her hand inside the bag and pulled out a small nightlight. It had a tiny gray lamp shade surrounding the light with the words 'I love you to the moon and back' printed on it. "It's perfect, Fitz. Thank you."

"I know it is, but don't forget about the other thing in there." he told her.

"So pushy." Olivia replied with a grin. Reaching her hand inside, she pulled out a small white pillow with the same eight words printed on it in gray lettering. "These are both going to look great in the nursery. Thank you very much. I love them."

"I think that deserves a prize." he told her and puckered up his lips.

"You're ridiculous, but not wrong. Thank you." She held onto his cheeks and pressed her lips to his in a warm gentle thank filled kiss. When they both laid back down, Olivia put her head on his chest and mumbled, "I need some sleep now please."

"Stay here with me tonight." Fitz ran his fingers down over her hair. "I'll take you for breakfast in the morning. We can even go back to Waffle World. Maybe we'll be able to get through the meal without you proposing to me this time?"

Although she heard everything he had just said, in a barely conscious voice Olivia answered with, "okay."

Fitz wasn't about to ask her which question she was agreeing to. He held her close to him as they both faded off to sleep.


	13. To the Max

**To the Max**

Olivia and Fitz were sitting in the same ugly red booth they had been sitting in the last time they ate at Waffle World. The place was doing a moderate business, and the waitress was doing her best to keep their cups filled and make sure they had everything they needed. There was a lot of laughter as well as loving glances exchanged between them mixed in with their light conversation.

The little bell over the door tinkled and a man walked in. He went unnoticed by most of the customers and staff but was finally greeted. When asked if he was dining alone, the man glanced around the charming little restaurant until his gaze landed on the young couple sitting in a booth. The two of them were far enough away that he could watch them without being spotted, but he couldn't hear a word of what they were saying. They had love written all over their faces, and he silently watched them for a minute or two from where he stood.

The young woman was on her knees in the booth facing the young man. Her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on wiping syrup from his face with a balled up napkin. His hands ran up her thighs and around to her waist as he tried to pull her closer. She swatted at his hands playfully as she worked on cleaning him up. He could see them chuckling and every so often they would kiss each other through big playful grins. The young couple had a familiarity between them that a physical relationship always seemed to give away. Young love was a wonderful thing to witness.

His eyes landed on the young woman's stomach. She appeared to be pregnant. It wasn't overly noticeable in the t-shirt she was wearing, but he'd bet money on it being true. She was sitting on the end of the booth as the two of them held hands on top of the table and looked into each other's eyes. He wondered if the baby belonged to the young man? That conversation would have to be had soon. It would certainly explain why he hadn't returned to California yet.

"Sir? Would you like for me to show you to a table now?" the waitress asked. The man had sandy brown curly hair like the young man sitting at the table he was looking at, but there was gray at his temples where the younger man had none.

He kept his eyes on the couple but replied, "I'm not staying. I just wanted to see a couple I recognize in here. I'll just go and say hello and be on my way. Thank you."

"As soon as I turned on the living room light, Abby and Stephen froze. She had her hand over his crotch as he stood in front of her. Neither one of them had anything on!" Olivia explained through wild laughter. "It was the funniest thing I've ever seen."

"I wish you'd taken a picture!" Fitz said laughing. "That would have been some great leverage to have on them. I would've...

He stopped mid-sentence as a familiar face looked him in the eye. Fitz squinted up at him. "Dad?! What are you doing here?"

Olivia turned to look at the man standing at their booth. He was very tall, and slender with a head full of curls just like Fitz. His curious blue eyes went from his son to her and then back to Fitz again. A polite smile was in place as he waited for his son to make introductions. He looked exactly like an older version of Fitz. "I saw you through the window as I drove by, so I turned around to come say hi."

He extended his hand towards Olivia with that polite smile still in place and said, "hello. I'm Maxwell Grant, but most people just call me Max. I'm Fitz's father."

She got to her feet and stuck out her hand for a moment before pulling it back and smiling up at him. "I'm sorry but I'm a hugger. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Grant. I'm Olivia."

Caught by surprise, Mr. Grant exclaimed, "oh!" and hugged her back. "It's nice to meet you too. I think Fitz was going to try to get the three of us together for dinner one night, but he got interrupted before we could hammer out the details the other day."

Pointing to the opposite side of the booth, Olivia said, "join us. Please."

"Oh...no," he began waving a hand dismissively. "I don't want to intrude. I just wanted to say hello."

"Sit down. Really. It's no intrusion at all. We were just finishing up our breakfast. You can join us for a cup of coffee." Olivia didn't wait for him to say no. She waved over their waitress. "Can we please have another cup of coffee?"

"And the bill, whenever you get a moment too please?" Fitz added.

"Sure, to both requests." she told them and disappeared.

"So. Olivia. What is it that you do?" Max asked, once he was settled on his side of the booth.

"Fitz didn't tell you?" she asked. "Well, of course, he didn't tell you. There's a story there. I work at the hotel check in desk."

"Really? That's great. You know I have to ask about this story now." Max replied and took a sip of his coffee.

"Fitz got me fired." Olivia told him straight faced.

"He did what?" Max asked in a surprised tone.

Fitz sucked in air dramatically and gave her a look. "Olivia Pope! You little liar. I did no such thing!"

"You see what I have to put up with from him?" Olivia asked on a giggle, jerking a thumb in his direction.

The younger Grant grabbed her thumb and then poked a finger into her ribs. "If you'd tell the story right you wouldn't have to put up with anything from me."

"I'm waiting for that day to come." she chuckled. "So, maybe he didn't get me fired, but he did get me demoted on my first day on the job. I had to clean rooms for two weeks as a result of his actions."

"What did you do to this enchanting young woman that resulted in her demotion at the hotel, son?"

Fitz studied his dad's face. He didn't say anything, but he could tell what was going on right now. His father was falling prey to Olivia's charming personality. Forgetting his father and concentrating on answering his question, Fitz smiled at Olivia and said, "all I did was flirt with her a little bit."

"He called me a hyena." Olivia broke in with a laugh.

He gave her a shocked face while his mouth made a little o. "More lies! I said you laugh like a hyena. That's very different, Livvie."

Max continued to watch them both. He was really surprised to see that his only son was so comfortably in love with this beautiful young lady. Fitz had said for years that he wasn't interested in settling down or getting married or having babies. But here he was, laughing, flirting, touching, and so far gone in love that it would be obvious to a blind man.

If he and Olivia were expecting a child together as Max suspected, he vowed to be fine with it and be there for all three of them. That would make him a grandfather! The thought of that was so exciting Max hoped that Olivia really was pregnant. He'd have to get to know her a lot more, but so far, she was coming across as a sweet girl who thought the world of Fitz. He might have to stick around in Florida for a little longer. Maybe he'd think about moving his home office to the southern state? He wondered if Olivia would allow him to take his grandchild to the beach or on outings when he eventually played hooky from work?

"Dad? What are you over there smiling to yourself about?" Fitz asked.

"I zoned out a little bit. I've got things on my mind. I'm sorry about that." He smiled at Olivia. "What were you saying?"

"I was just saying that everything worked out for the best. I guess I forgave him for showing out while I was at work that day." she teased.

Max leaned closer to Olivia and loudly whispered, "If I were you, I'd keep it over his head a little longer. The overwhelming guilt will have him treating you like a queen for a while."

"Fitz is very good to me." She told him.

"He'd better be."

"I think he is the last genuinely good man."

"I really am." Fitz agreed.

Olivia chuckled at him.

"Humble as well." Max added with a grin.

"You picked up on that too, huh?" Olivia asked him with a grin of her own.

"You love it." Fitz told her before quickly leaning in her direction and pecking her lips.

"So. What do the two of you have planned for today?" Max asked.

"I have to work at the hotel in a few hours, so I'll have to go home and start getting ready for that." Olivia answered.

"And I have a meeting scheduled with you at two o'clock. We were just finishing up here and then I was going to take Liv home." Fitz explained.

Olivia looked in the booth with a furrowed brow. "I think I forgot the baby gift" she muttered.

"Baby gift?" Max asked. Olivia had just provided the perfect opportunity for him to get more information on the situation and he wasn't going to waste it.

She shyly met Fitz's gaze and wondered if she shouldn't have said anything. He wordlessly smiled at her, so she enlightened the older Grant man. "Fitz bought a gift for my baby and I think I forgot to bring it to breakfast with us."

"Oh! You're pregnant? Congratulations." Max said beaming. He was still unsure about a few things pertaining to the baby though. He hoped to get the answers he wanted.

"Thank you."

"Do you know what you're having yet?"

"I'll find out next week, but I think it's a boy."

Max looked at Fitz. "Sons are wonderful people to have in your life."

"This is awkward." Olivia began. "And there's no easy or tactful way to say this, but I think you should know. This baby isn't Fitz's."

"I didn't think..." Max began.

She smiled at him and touched his hand. "It's okay if you did think it. I would rather get the air cleared up at the beginning. I don't want to mislead you or cause problems between you and your son."

Max smiled at the young woman. She seemed like she had her head on straight, that she wasn't after a hand out, and that she cared about what other people thought about her. It made him respect her even more. "Are the two of you dating?"

"We are." Olivia informed him.

"And are you as happy together as it appears to anyone looking at both of you?"

Fitz and Olivia looked at each other and smiled. "We are." Fitz said, still looking at Livvie.

"Then that's all that matters to me." Max said with a smile. If the two of them stayed together, maybe, just maybe he could be an honorary grandfather after all? It wasn't such a stretch of the imagination.

"That's all that matters to us too. Thank you for understanding, Mr...OH!" Olivia clutched her stomach and her eyes dropped to it as well.

Fitz crouched closer towards her, immediately crowding her. "Livvie? What's the matter? Is it the baby? Are you okay?"

She lifted her head with a huge grin on her face. Her wide brown eyes locked with Fitz's furrowed blue ones. "He just kicked me" she whispered.

His eyes went to her belly and before he could ask for her permission, Olivia grabbed his hand and placed it under hers. The two of them quietly waited for any movement. When the baby did move, Fitz's head snapped up and he gave Olivia a shocked expression that quickly turned into the biggest grin.

"Holy shit! That's amazing!" He pecked her lips excitedly before looking down at her belly and wishing for a repeat performance. About thirty seconds later, Fitz got his wish. "That is the coolest thing in the world."

Max smiled knowingly at both of them. "It really is. Babies are fascinating to me."

"Dad is kind of like a baby whisperer." Fitz told Olivia.

"What does that mean exactly?" She asked in confusion.

"It means that he's always had a way of soothing babies who won't stop crying. It's the damndest thing." Fitz explained.

"What?" Olivia exclaimed doubtfully. "Get outta here."

"I'm serious. I remember last year the two of us were in a grocery store or department store...whatever...it doesn't matter. There was a woman in there with a baby that just would not stop crying. Dad asked if he could hold him. The little guy's mother seemed to be at her wits end and said yes. Of course, she kept a close eye on him in case he tried to make a run for it with her kid." Fitz said laughing.

"Anyway," Max said, taking over the story. "I got the baby to stop crying. I've never heard a mother sigh so loudly in my life."

"Wooooow. What did you do to make him stop?" Olivia asked. She was very impressed.

"Nothing special. I just talked to him about the weather." Max replied.

"What? Nah uh!" He had to be pulling her leg, Olivia decided.

"Yea, I did. It's all about the tone of voice you use. It's gotta be soothing. That's the key." Max shrugged. "At least, that's what I've found to be true."

Olivia pulled out her phone and handed it to Max. "You know you've got to put your number into my phone now in case this baby has a melt down and I need your help."

"Really?" Max asked with a grin.

Max's grin looked just like the ones she got from Fitz sometimes. "Yea. I'm not kidding. I'm not going to be a hero. If people offer to help, then I'm going to take them up on it."

"I didn't offer to help." Max pointed out. He wondered what she would have to say about that?

"That's true, isn't it? Well, that's too bad. I guess I'll have to figure it out by myself." she said, pulling the phone back slowly.

"Man, you're good." Max told her with a chuckle. "If you ever get sick of working at the hotel, let me know and I'll put you to work for the hotel."

"I'll keep that in mind." She put her phone into his large open hand and watched him program his number in it. "How are you at painting?"

Max squinted at her. "Well, my landscapes need work, but my watercolors aren't too bad."

"Ha Ha" Olivia replied dryly. "I meant painting walls."

"Ohhhhh. Those." He chuckled. "Not bad, I guess. Why do you ask?"

"Because she has to get busy painting the nursery for the bean...nut..." Fitz made a repeated circular motion with his hands.

"I'm sorry. For the what?" Max asked Olivia.

"At this point I call the baby a bean, but my roommate Abby calls him a peanut. So, everyone gets it all mixed up." She put a hand on her belly and smiled. "Poor little guy."

"Or girl." Max added.

"You sound like my dad now. He wants the baby to be a girl more than anything."

"Are you an only child?"

"I am. His exact words were 'you know I'm partial to girls.' He's gonna be the cutest grandfather."

"Well, not to be presumptuous, but maybe we could share that title? You know, if you and Fitz stick together?"

She stared at him in silence and bit the inside of her cheek when tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. Olivia cleared her throat and asked, "you'd want to be a part of this baby's life? Even though he or she isn't Fitz's baby?"

Max didn't want to offend her. He had no idea what the situation was with the baby's father, and he didn't want to be disrespectful if the man was going to be around. But facts were facts. "The way it looked to me before I came over to your table is that the three of you are already a little family. It's obvious that you and my son love each other. Loving the baby will just come naturally too. And if I'm allowed to be around him or her, it will come naturally to me too."

Olivia slid out from her side of the booth as tears fell down her cheeks.

Max wondered where she was going as he finished his thought. "I hope that doesn't...OH!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

He held onto Olivia and patted her back as she continued to hug his neck and cry. He could remember all too well how quickly pregnancy hormones reared their head. His wife was the same way when she was pregnant with Fitz, so Max considered himself somewhat of a pro with them now. When he lifted his eyes, he saw his son smiling at him. Max smiled back and mouthed the words; mom would have loved her.

Fitz nodded and continued to watch them until Olivia pulled away and excused herself to go freshen up. He watched her until she was out of sight, and then Fitz told his dad, "I know it doesn't make any sense, but I'm going to marry that girl."

Young love was such a beautiful thing. "Love doesn't always make sense, son. But sometimes when you know, you just know. And if you say Olivia is the one for you, then she's the one for you. I'm not going to question it."

"Really? I thought there would be a lot more of a lecture from you when I told you how I felt about her. Especially the condition she's in."

"She's not a used car, Fitz. She's expecting a baby." Max chuckled.

"You know what I mean." Fitz said.

"I do. I guess the only thing that could be a problem is the baby's father. Is he in the picture? Do you know anything about him? Does she still have contact with him? He could cause problems, you know. Not the kind that prevent you from marrying her, but the kind that could create arguments between the two of you when he comes around to see his son or daughter."

"Olivia told him she was pregnant, but he didn't want to keep the baby. He didn't want her to keep the baby either."

"Ohhhh, he's an asshole?" Max said plainly.

"Exactly. He gave Olivia money to get an abortion, but she took the money and left. She ended up here. Got a job and is basically starting over all by herself. He's out of the picture on purpose. He just doesn't know it."

"But her parents know she's pregnant. How far away do they live?"

"They live one town away from the baby's father. And she just told them she was pregnant a few weeks ago."

"They support her decision to keep the baby though?"

"Yea."

"Them living near him is tricky. I'm sure she doesn't want to run the chance of accidentally seeing him when she goes to visit her parents. Olivia is very strong to have decided to do all of this on her own with no help at all."

"What am I, chopped liver?"

"Yep. Compared to the baby whisperer."

Fitz laughed at his dad. "Look, when I get a few more things worked out, I'm going to propose to Livvie. I wanted you to know."

"Would you like to give her mom's ring when you do get everything worked out?" Max asked.

The younger Grant looked at his dad and smiled. "I would. But only if you're sure about it?"

"Course I'm sure. They are just sitting around the house inside her jewelry box. They were made to be on someone's finger out in the light of day." Max shrugged. "Olivia's finger will do."

Fitz shook his head back and forth. "You're not fooling anyone. You're just as enchanted by her as I was the day I met her."

"There really is something special about her, son. If she makes you happy, then that makes me happy. And for the record, I think she will be a great addition to the family."

"You just want to get your hands on that baby, dad." Fitz chuckled.

"It'll be nice to have a baby around. I might be persuaded to move my home office to Florida?" Max replied.

"We'll talk about the specifics later. Here comes Liv." Fitz muttered.

"Feeling better now?" Max asked.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Grant. I'm sure you must think I am..."

"Experiencing pregnancy hormones. It's okay." he patted her hand. "Don't give it another thought. I haven't had a hug like that in a long time."

"Thank you for being so kind and understanding." Olivia told him.

"Are you ready for me to take you home? We don't want you getting into trouble for being late."

"I don't think Mark would appreciate you being such a bad influence to one of his employees." Olivia warned Fitz. "Especially one who has gained the attention of her managers for a promotion."

"Rrrreally?" Fitz said impressed. "Dad, we've got to go so I can get her majesty to work on time."

Olivia swatted him playfully on the arm. "I asked you about your painting skills because we will be painting the wall the crib will be against. It's only one wall, but I could turn something like that into an event."

"Look what she did at breakfast." Fitz chimed in.

"Hush, you. I'm having my ultrasound in two days and once I find out for sure what I'm having, I'd like for the little bean's extended family to come together to decorate his or her nursery together. My mother has just about lost her mind. She's bought a crib and changing table. Fitz bought me a night light and little pillow, and each has the words I intend to decorate the nursery with."

"And what are those words?" Max asked.

"I love you to the moon and back. It's a phrase that my mother always tells me before ending a phone call. I wanted to honor her somehow and those words just seemed...right. So, I went with them."

"I think that's perfect." Max told her.

"You wouldn't believe how much baby stuff has those words on them. Decorating this nursery is going to be so easy." Olivia gushed.

"I'd be happy to help out with the nursery. On one condition."

"You and Fitz are definitely father and son." Olivia muttered as the three of them made their way outside. "What's the condition?"

"That I can bring a gift."

She shrugged with a grin. "Sure. Why not? But I'm buying lunch."

"Actually, I'm buying lunch." Fitz told her with a smug look.

"Then I'll supply the ice cream." Olivia said, Looking up at Fitz with her grin still in place.

"That's a deal!" Fitz answered and pecked her lips. "Sorry, dad. But we've gotta get going. I'll still see you at two?"

"Yes please. We still have a few loose ends to tie up." Max said vaguely. "It was really nice to meet you, Olivia. Please send me a text when you find out if you're having a girl or boy. I'd love to know which to look forward to."

"That's not necessary, but of course I'll let you know. I'm really glad you came inside to talk with us this morning. I'm very glad I got to meet you. I think we are going to get along really well together."

"I feel the same way, Olivia. It was very nice to have met you finally. I'll look forward to hearing from you in a couple of days. See you later, Fitz."

"Bye, dad."

Fitz and Olivia got into the car and once it was started the air conditioning began blowing cold air. Olivia turned in her seat to look at Fitz. He seemed different than when they had arrived at Waffle World. Settled, somehow. Maybe the right word was determined? She wasn't quite sure, but she assumed he and his father had discussed business while she was splashing cold water on her face in the bathroom. Whatever it was, he was happier.

"I like your dad. He seems like a genuinely nice man."

"He is." Fitz agreed. "You told him that you thought I was the last genuinely good man."

"I did, and I meant it." Olivia agreed.

"Thank you, but I get it from him."

"I felt kind of bad for him though."

"Why's that?" Fitz asked.

"Because I think he thought this baby was yours. I could practically hear him planning what he was going to teach him or her to call him. It was very cute."

"Oh, believe me. The man definitely already has a short list in his mind for grandfatherly names." Fitz chuckled. He held Olivia's hand and watched her spread her fingers so his could slide through hers "But he would never do anything you weren't comfortable with."

"I'm very comfortable with his son for the foreseeable future, so he can teach this baby to call him whatever he wants to. As long as it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable."

Fitz kissed her knuckles and said, "You are amazing. You know it?"

"I do. Now, before this goes in a direction that we don't have time to follow to the end, I propose..."

"There you go proposing again. What is it with you and Waffle World?" Fitz asked with a grin.

"I propose that you take me home now, Mister."

"You can't propose something and not seal it with a kiss." he replied sarcastically.

Olivia's grin doubled in size before she leaned towards him and kissed Fitz.


	14. Ultrasound

**Ultrasound**

"I don't know why I'm so nervous?" Olivia said to no one in particular. She was sitting in the waiting room at an imaging center between Abby and Fitz. The three of them were waiting for Olivia's parents to show up for the ultrasound of the baby. The older Popes weren't late, Olivia had made Abby and Fitz drive her to the center an hour early because she was so anxious to get there.

Fitz gently squeezed her hand. "You're the mommy. You're allowed to be nervous if you want to."

Olivia looked up at Fitz, gave him a smile, and watched him lick his lips before leaning towards her and touching his mouth to hers. She rested her head against his shoulder and exhaled slowly. She was still anxious, although not quite as much as earlier, but she also couldn't imagine being more content than she was right now.

And then her parents walked through the door.

"Oh, hey! It's Momma and Poppa Pope!" Abby exclaimed getting to her feet.

Olivia lifted her head and slowly got to her feet to greet them. The water in her bladder wasn't too happy with the movement. "Hey, you two." She hugged them both and then reached behind her for Fitz's hand, which he took and then came to stand beside her. The nerves were radiating off him, so Olivia put her other hand on top of their joined ones. "Momma, daddy, this is Fitz. Fitz, these are my parents, Aaron and Marie Pope."

Fitz took a step closer, smiled, and extended his right hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Pope."

Marie inspected him from head to toe. Sure, he was handsome and tall and had a great smile. But would he be there for her baby when she needed him? Would he be patient and kind and supportive? And how would he be when the new baby arrived? The baby that wasn't even his? She wondered if...

"Nice to meet you, Fitz." Aaron said shaking the young man's hand with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Sir. Livvie has told me so much about both of you."

Marie cut her eyes up to his blue ones and scowled. "Livvie?" She spat out.

"Momma!" Olivia warned quietly. "It's fine."

"She's right, Liv." He didn't want to cause chaos in Olivia's family. Especially today. "Your name isn't Livvie."

"Hers isn't Ree Ree either, but that's what I call her." Aaron cut in with a grin.

"Aaron Pope!" Marie exclaimed with a shocked expression.

"Leave the boy alone, Ree. He's given Olivia a nickname. It's no big deal, and not a reason for you to start in." He winked at his daughter.

"It's nice to meet you, Marie" Fitz offered meekly with a smile and an extended hand.

Marie looked down at his hand and broke into a grin. "you've been dating Olivia long enough to know that we are huggers. Welcome to the family."

Fitz grinned and went into her open arms. He was about to ask her what she meant by 'welcome to the family' but a nurse behind them called out, "Olivia Pope?"

Everyone turned around and Olivia said, "that's me" before leading the way towards the door.

"Hello, Olivia. My name is Terri. Is everyone here going to be joining us for the ultrasound this afternoon?"

Olivia made momentary eye contact with each person in their group. She couldn't imagine any of them not being here. Her eyes fell back on Terri. "I know it's a crowd, but yes, everyone is coming in with me. I hope that's alright?"

"Of course," Terri happily chirped in reply. She held the door open until everyone was on the other side of it. She gave a polite smile and led the way to another door, where she again held it open for everyone. "Did we lose anyone?"

"We seem to be all counted for." Marie assured her. Terri and Fitz helped Olivia take the step up and then turn around so she could sit on the edge of the exam table. She kicked her sandal clad feet back and forth as she sat there. Fitz stayed at her side and had no intentions of moving. "There are a few things to keep in mind today. I know you are all here as a support to the mom and dad, but you need to keep in mind that this is a medical exam and should be treated as such. We will be measuring the baby and looking at his or her major organs to make sure they are functioning properly. Once all of that is done, then we'll see if baby is in a co-opperative mood to reveal him or herself."

"It's so exciting" Abby said in a giddy voice.

"Be careful about getting your hopes up too high. Sometimes baby isn't willing to let us see what the sex is. It can be disappointing if that happens, so just keep in mind when the time comes that it might not happen. Now, the sonographer will be in here in a few minutes."

Less than two minutes later, the door opened shutting down all excited conversation between the five people inside. The man looked around and smiled brightly. "Wow. What a fun group. My name is Harrison and I'm your sonographer today. The nurse told me that she already gave you the spiel about looking at and measuring the important stuff before we attempt to see if we are dealing with a boy or girl. Is that correct?"

Everyone nodded.

"Do you want to know what the sex of the baby is, mom?" Harrison asked Olivia.

Olivia nodded. "If he or she is in a cooperating mood, then yes please."

"Okay then. Let's get you to lay down on the exam table and get this party started." Harrison told her. He pulled the bottom of her shirt up to reveal her stomach. Grabbing a tube of gel from a cart where the monitor was at, he warned her that it might be cold on her belly and then proceeded to squeeze some on her. Within seconds of Harrison moving the transducer across her belly, a thumping sound filled the room.

Fitz looked down at Olivia with concerned eyes.

"That's your baby's heartbeat, dad." Harrison told Fitz.

Fitz opened his mouth to correct him, but Harrison began talking about what they were seeing on the monitor. He looked down at Olivia and mouthed the words, I'm sorry. She squeezed his hand in reply.

A grainy black and white image appeared on the monitor and a moment later, Olivia's baby could be seen. She let out a small sound of shock and covered her mouth quickly with her eyes glued to what she was seeing. "Is that...?"

"Yep. That's your baby, mom. Cool huh?" Harrison asked with a smile. "That's the head. Your little one has a great profile already."

She nodded silently as tears started to fill her eyes, blurry them slightly.

"Okay, I'm going to take some measurements now." Harrison clicked on something and the grainy video stopped suddenly, and a small white arrow appeared on the screen. Olivia watched mesmerized as she watched the sonographer measure her baby's head.

"Is his head measuring the right size?" she asked in a worried voice.

"Him huh? Is that your guess?" he asked.

"It is." Olivia told him without looking away from the monitor.

"We'll see if you're right soon enough. For right now, I have to tell you that I'm not a doctor, so I'm not allowed to answer any questions about the sonogram. Your doctor will look over the pictures and go over the results at your next visit." The video began to move again, and Harrison moved the cursor in a circle around something that was flicking. "Do you know what that is?"

"The baby's heart?"

"That's right. It's strong and steady too. That's good." he assured her. He moved the transducer over her belly and once again stopped the video with a click of the mouse.

Olivia tilted her head to try to figure out what it was that Harrison was looking at. The white arrow was back. With a few clicks, a dotted line was on the screen and Harrison typed the word foot on the monitor. "That's his foot?" She asked in pure adoration.

"Look at that!" Fitz whispered. "it's amazing."

The video began to move once again and with a slight move on her belly, Harrison stopped the video and took a measurement of something sticking up.

"Is that his...?" Aaron asked with his head cocked to the side to see better.

"Arm? Yes." Harrison told him with a grin.

Everyone laughed at the error.

"Look at that perfect little hand." Olivia said with a sniff. "I can't wait to feel it wrap around my finger."

Fitz rubbed circles on her hand. He was completely astonished at what he was seeing and hearing.

"Okay, moment of truth." Harrison announced as movement started on the video once again. He moved the transducer over Olivia's belly and mumbled, "let's see if this little one will cooperate for us today. He moved it to the right, a little to the left, slightly down, and held the device in place as he stopped the screen. Harrison looked over his shoulder at the group of teary eyed people in the room. God, he loved his job. "Who promises to buy this little one an outfit today if I tell you without a doubt what the sex is?"

Five hands immediately went up in the air.

He grinned at them before turning back to the screen. As he typed the words showed up on the screen It's a girl

Olivia was quietly still staring at the screen.

Abby got to her feet and let out a whoop of joy.

Aaron grinned proudly and then hugged his wife, who was crying. "A little girl, Ree. This is perfect."

"It's a good thing we know a few things about little girls. She will make Olivia so happy."

"I expect all of you to hold up your end of the bargain and buy this little girl some pretty things." Harrison told them as he wiped the gel off her belly and helped her sit up. "Congratulations, both of you."

"Thank you so much," Olivia told Harrison before he walked out the door. She wiped her eyes and stepped down to the floor.

"That was amazing, Liv. Thank you for letting me come be a part of this. I love you." Fitz told her.

She smiled up at him and brushed a tear away from his cheek. "I love you too, Fitz."

He leaned down and kissed her as the other three people in the room watched with shy smiles. The spectators all same the same thought going through their minds. Fitz and Olivia and the unborn baby were going to make one hell of a great family.

The five people gathered their things and waited while Olivia emptied her overly full bladder before walking out to the parking lot together. "What do you have planned today, Olivia?" Aaron asked.

She faked a yawn and said, "I'm going to go home and lay down for a while."

He, along with everyone else in the little group was surprised by her answer, but no one said anything about it. Well, except Aaron. He pulled his daughter in for a hug and when he had her close asked her, "are you alright, lil bit? You don't seem like yourself right now."

Olivia held him tightly and willed the tears to go away, or at least wait a while longer. Swallowing the lump in her throat she tried to sound upbeat as she replied, "I'm fine, dad. Just tired. I'll be alright after a little nap."

He pulled out of the embrace and looked Olivia in the eye. He saw the lie and the way she was having a hard time making it believable for him. He wondered why she was trying so hard. He'd check on her later on to make sure she was feeling better, and if her answers didn't settle his mind, he'd be getting the address from Abby and making a drive to their house. Looking at Fitz, Aaron said, "this young lady needs to rest a little while."

"I'll take care of both of them." Fitz promised her dad. Once he and Liv were in his car and the air conditioning started doing its job, he left the parking lot.

She was quiet in the car, keeping her eyes closed in hopes to avoid conversation with him. Olivia had a pretty good idea that he could tell something was up with her even if he didn't know exactly what it was. They drove past the road the house she and Abby shared was on, but still she said nothing, assuming he was taking her to the hotel. She closed her eyes again.

A while later, when she felt the car come to a stop, Olivia opened her eyes. She was surprised to see that Fitz had brought them to the ocean. He got out of the car, came around to her side, and opened the door for her. She took off her shoes, leaving them on the floorboard of the car. Without a word, he took her hand and together they began walking leisurely towards the water. Fitz knew the news about the baby's gender probably was the reason behind Olivia's silence. It was the moment when she clammed up, he remembered. He also knew that it would take time for her brain to come to terms with having a daughter instead of the son she just knew was growing inside of her. She wouldn't love her daughter any less than the son she assumed she was expecting, but the surprise needed to be processed. He felt at a loss, not knowing how to navigate this path he'd never been on before. He decided to remain quiet and let her work it out for herself, but to be there if she wanted to talk.

It was a gorgeous sunny day. The water was the perfect color blue, the sky was cloudless, and the sun felt warm. The part of the beach they were on wasn't familiar to Olivia and she didn't see any people, but she didn't care. Her mind and heart were both feeling heavy with all the thoughts and emotions rolling around inside.

The moment their feet hit the warm soft sand near the water, Olivia burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. Her head leaned against his chest and he put his arms around her and just held on. When she was finally all cried out, she pulled away from him and turned to face the water, embarrassed by her emotional outburst.

"Hey. Liv. Please don't." Fitz said softly. "Don't shut me out. I know you're upset, and that's okay. But I'm here and I wanna help."

She turned to face him. Her make up was slightly smeared and her eyes were red. "I can't believe I'm this upset because my baby isn't a boy. I should be thrilled beyond belief that she's healthy, not male, and will be that much less of a reminder of her father, but I can't quite get my head around it. And if that wasn't bad enough, I'm embarrassed for feeling that way. It's very confusing." She started to cry again, wishing anything that she felt made some kind of sense.

Fitz took her hand once more and plopped down on the sand, pulling Olivia into his lap. They watched the waves crash for a while in silence before he spoke to her. "You had your heart set on a son. So much so, that you didn't allow thoughts of a daughter to enter the equation. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yes, there is. Don't you see, Fitz. I didn't just have my heart set on a son, I knew it was a boy. I knew it with every fiber of my being. So, when that man typed that it was a girl, I felt like a fool."

"Why? Because you guessed wrong? You're hardly the only woman in the world who..."

"No! I felt like a fool because if I got something so basic wrong after believing it was right for so long, what kind of mother am I going to be to her? I feel like I don't know what I'm doing! That every decision I make is going to be the wrong one from now on because I couldn't even get the gender right."

"Liv, I think you're being too hard on yourself."

"What kind of mother doesn't even entertain the thought of the other fifty percent though? It's all gonna go to shit from here isn't it?" She sniffed and tried to keep the damned tears at bay but was losing that fight too.

His hands came around her and settled on her firm little belly. He started rubbing circles lightly with his fingertips against her skin. "Do you remember what I told you the night we ate ice cream and talked outside about everything on our minds? The night I came back?"

She shrugged and leaned back against his chest. "You said a lot of things."

"I told you that this baby is lucky to have you for its mother. That you were going to be a great mother. That you were fierce and protective, and it showed. Do you remember that?"

Olivia nodded.

"You are not the first mother to guess the sex of her baby wrong, so stop punishing yourself over it. You had a fifty fifty chance of being right. Guess what? You won't be the last mother to do it either. And all of those women went on to raise their kids just fine."

"How do you possibly know that?" Olivia asked, feeling a little better already.

"I...just do." he nodded once. When he heard her giggle, Fitz knew the majority of her guilt was subsiding. "You really are an amazing mother, Livvie."

"But she's not even here yet."

"That's a technicality. She's healthy and thriving in there, and that's because you are taking such good care of her. Be proud of yourself and give yourself a break sometimes. You are killing it at this mommy thing. I'm really proud of you and she will be too when she gets here because she's a part of you."

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He made some good points. He knew exactly where to bring her to calm her down the fastest. And he waited for her to talk about it, instead of pushing things just to get answers to settle his own mind. He was kind of a wonder. She turned slightly on his lap, putting her arms around his neck. "Thank you. I don't know how you do it, but you know exactly what do say and do to calm me down."

"I feel like I've known you much much longer than I actually have. It's difficult to explain. But I meant what I said in that room."

"Which part?" He reached a hand up and cupped her cheek, holding her hair that was being wildly blown away from her face.

"The part where I said that I love you."

She smiled at him. "I meant it when I said I love you back." She moved her head closer to his until their lips connected in a sweet kiss. Within moments, the two of them were lying on the soft sand with their mouths still connected. Olivia broke the kiss, touching her fingers to her lips in embarrassment. She giggled and said, "we need to stop before someone sees us. That would be embarrassing."

"No one is going to see us here, Livvie."

Very slowly, Olivia sat up and looked around. He was right There weren't any people on the beach. It was very unusual for a beautiful day like today. She looked both to the left and right to make sure she wasn't missing something. Her eyes landed on his, and she noticed a playful expression on his face. "Fitz?"

"Liv?" he teased.

"Where are we?"

He looked around with a funny expression on his face before stating the obvious. "At the beach."

"Where are the people that normally crowd the beach on a day like today?"

"They are at the beach, but they aren't here."

"Why aren't they here?"

"Because this is private property."

Her eyes went wide, and she got to her feet as quickly as she could. She held out a hand in his direction. "Then we gotta go."

He grinned at her. "If you say so. We've got things to do anyways."

"Like what?" she asked with disbelief.

"We've got to get this little girl something pink. We promised. And we need to start on a list of names for her."

Olivia took his hand once more. She had no idea how she had found Fitzgerald Grant III, but she wasn't letting him go.

_When I was pregnant with my third child, I just KNEW it was a girl. I mean, I knew it in my bones! The day I had my ultrasound and found out it was a boy, I felt the same things Olivia mentioned in this chapter. And from the day that kid was born, he was the boyest boy who every boyed! Sorry for the pink surprise, but she could never have been a boy in my mind._


	15. Think Pink

**Think Pink**

Now that everyone knew Olivia was having a girl, her parents and Abby had lost their minds. Her room was filled with boxes and bags of pink dresses, pink onesies, pink pants, and itty bitty pink socks. And it wasn't just clothing. There were fuzzy towels, tiny hair bows, and even blankets, and teddy bears.

There was pink everywhere!

After looking over everything that had been purchased for her daughter, Olivia wondered if she would need a few new outfits of her own to keep up with her little one's adorable stuff.

And it wasn't just her parents who had done the buying. Fitz had bought a stroller. One of those nice ones with all the bells and whistles that converted into a sofa for the baby, or something equally ridiculous. He had done his research on the product and told Liv that they would need it to take her on walks along the beach.

Olivia couldn't argue with that reasoning. Besides, he had already bought it. Instead, she told everyone that enough was enough and for them to stop buying so much stuff for the baby.

Her father had given her a look, patted her on the head, and informed her that she was not in charge of him. Olivia smiled to herself now as she thought back to that conversation with her father that had taken place just two days ago. He was already the cutest grandfather in the world, and he hadn't even met his granddaughter yet.

Max wasn't any better. He had brought over a small mountain of pink baby items. He asked Olivia to sit on the sofa while he pulled each item from the large store bag and showed them to her with the biggest grin on his face. His excitement was contagious, and Olivia found herself grinning too as she watched him describe when the baby could wear each item as he pulled an endless supply of clothing from within the bag.

"What are you lost in thought about over there?" Fitz asked from beside her at the table.

She shook her head back and forth, with the grin still in place. "Just thinking about our fathers."

"If there are any pink baby clothes left in stores within a thirty mile radius, I'll be surprised." Fitz said with a laugh.

"They kinda went overboard, didn't they?"

"Yea, but I think that's the prerogative of being a first time grandfather." Fitz guessed.

"My mother isn't any better. I don't think she tells my father when she buys stuff for the baby."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because she comes over here with him, and while my father is showing me what he's bought for her mom sneaks out to the car and puts a bag of stuff in my room without a word. Later though, she calls me and asks my opinion on what she's bought."

"That's so cute."

"This baby already has more clothes than I do." Olivia lamented.

"You know why everyone keeps buying her stuff don't you?" Fitz asked.

"Boredom?" she guessed.

He laughed again. "No, so she can keep up with her beautiful mommy."

"That's kinda sweet." Olivia said, and scooted closer to him.

"It is isn't it?" He asked with a grin as he pulled her chair even closer. "Something sweet like that deserves a prize of some kind."

Olivia was grinning back at him. "You think so?"

"MmmHmm."

"What did you have in mind?" Olivia asked quietly.

Their faces were inches apart, and Fitz was about to rectify the space issue right now. "How about a..." He never got the chance to say the last word because Olivia lunged at him.

Their mouths connected in a way that felt magical, just like it always did. When their lips parted, Fitz said, "thank you, but I was gonna suggest an ice cream cone."

"You are not a very good liar." Olivia told him with a grin.

"Are we gonna work on the names for a while today? I'd like to be able to call her by her name soon instead of the bean you're so fond of."

"I guess I've put it off long enough." Olivia told him with a strangled sound. Changing the subject, she said, "Remember when I told everyone that we would have a paint party here after the ultrasound?"

"Yea."

"Trying to figure out when seven people all have the same day free is proving to be difficult. We might have to paint it ourselves."

"Be patient. It'll happen soon, I'm sure." Fitz assured her. "Now, back to this list."

"I don't know why we are bothering to come up with a name for her, we're never gonna see her."

"Of course we will. When the diapers are stinky, we'll see plenty of her." Fitz chuckled.

Olivia giggled at the truth of that statement. "At least she'll be loved by lots of people."

"She definitely will." Fitz agreed, nuzzling in her neck.

"Alright, where were we?" she asked, looking down at her phone.

"Uhhh..." He looked over his short list of names. "We were on the letter D. But we should read over the list of names we already came up with using the first three letters of the alphabet."

"At this rate, we are going to be here all day long. You know, if you wouldn't call out ridiculous names, this would go so much quicker." Olivia told him.

"Ava, Avery," Fitz read, ignoring her. He continued calling them out one by one. "Bella and Brinley. Our longest name so far...Charlotte, and we finish the big ole list with Cassidy."

"You're a funny guy, Fitz." Olivia told him with an eye roll. "Let's get this done today so you aren't cranky about it anymore."

He sighed and looked down at his phone as he began to scroll. "How about Daisey?"

"That's cute, I guess."

"Darci..."

Olivia made a noncommittal sound as she scrolled through baby girl's names on her own phone.

"Destinee...Denise...Delores..."

Olivia looked over at him from under her lashes. "Did you really just suggest Delores, Fitz?"

He chuckled. "Yea. Why not?"

"It sounds like...Well..."

"It's an old ladies name" Abby said as she walked through the kitchen. "Don't let him name your kid, Liv."

"I'm guessing Drusilla is out too then?" Fitz asked with a playful grin.

Abby was headed to her bedroom but stopped in her tracks, turned around, and took a seat at the table. She got out her own phone and after a minute or two said, "Okay, we can skip E through I because those are mostly old lady names too."

"So, Edwina and Ethyl are out?" Fitz asked laughing and got up to get something to drink.

"No wonder it's taking the two of you so long. Half of the time is spent wishing Fitz was a kid so you could send him to time out."

Olivia gave Abby a high five as the two of them giggled over that truth.

"So, we're on the letter J?" Olivia asked.

"How about James? I know it's typically a male name, but I knew a woman named James and she got so many compliments on her name. It's really pretty, I think." Abby told her.

"We can't use old lady names, but boy's names are up for discussion?" Fitz asked with an exasperated look.

"It's different, and I like it." Olivia said and wrote it down. "Jasmine is nice too."

"Jordan is pretty too."

"We're just doing two names per letter of the alphabet." Fitz informed Abby.

"But we need to make up for the old lady letters we aren't using at all. Add Jordan." Abby insisted, pointing to the paper.

Fitz handed Liv a bottle of water and took his seat to look for more names. "Let me scroll down to catch up. What are we on, K?"

"Yup" Liv answered and kept looking. "Is Kennedy too presidential?"

"I like it, so it can stay." Abby said, still looking at her phone.

"What about Kiera?" Fitz asked. "It sounds so feminine and pretty."

Olivia lifted her head and sent him a smile. "Come 'ere." Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, she pulled him close and kissed his grinning mouth. When their tongues got in on the action, Abby got to her feet.

"Ohhhh kayyyy. I can't sit here and help you with names if you're just gonna stick your tongues down each other's throats."

Fitz and Olivia waved to her with their mouths still fused to each other. She stormed out of the room in a huff.

"What was that for?" Fitz asked.

"Because it's sweet enough that you're helping me pick names for a list, but when you start commenting on them by using words like feminine and pretty, it kinda melts my heart."

Looking her in the eye he told her, "you're feminine and pretty."

"Someone is working on bonus points."

He pulled her onto his lap and pulled the top of her shirt towards him so he could peek down the front of it. "What kind of bonus points would I get if I carried you into your bedroom and had my way with you right now?"

"Mmmm, so many points. But we have to at least get through the alphabet for baby names first."

He got into her neck and gently kissed the skin there before whispering, "but you're so pretty...and feminine."

Olivia raised her shoulder, forcing his face out of her neck and muttered, "and you're so ridiculous." Hoping off his lap she opened the freezer and stuck her head inside. He might be ridiculous, but he knew how to get her worked up in no time. They needed to stay focused and get a list made. Then she'd let him, encourage him even, take her into her bedroom for as long as he wanted.

After unlocking his phone, he was reminded where they left off. "The letter L?"

When she didn't answer, he glanced over at where she was and smirked. Somebody was a little on the warm side. He wanted to go over there and see how much warmer he could get her, but Fitz knew this list of names was the only thing she hoped to accomplish today, so he stayed put. It physically pained him because he knew how easy it would be to have her begging for more, but he put those thoughts aside. "Liv?"

"Hmmm?" she replied on auto pilot.

"Are we skipping the letter L or not?"

Right! They were working on baby names. Olivia slammed the freezer door and nonverbally agreed with him. She was thinking of annnnny girl's name that began with an L but was coming up blank.

She was so entertaining to watch. He couldn't help the smile that covered his face. Clearing his throat, he decided to help her out. "How about Lila?"

"I really love that. It seems the shorter the name the prettier it sounds. Moving on to the next letter, I like Mia too."

"Mila is sweet. Although Madeline is a really pretty name too. Not short, but still pretty."

"Neveah has a romantic sound to it." she stated and wrote it down. "Skipping O for obvious reasons, how about Penelope?"

"I like that one too. Riley is super adorable. Like, top five adorable." he told her with raised eyebrows.

"I'll...take it under advisement." Olivia told him with a look of her own.

"Put a star near that one. If I get one vote, that one is..."

"Of course you get a vote. But as the mother, I have final say."

"Naturally."

"I've always liked the name Savannah. It...I dunno, sounds like a little girl with attitude or something."

"And that's what we want?" Fitz asked with that lopsided grin.

"Weeee want a strong, loving, independent daughter who isn't afraid to stand up for herself when necessary." Olivia said with a curt nod. "But not a spoiled brat."

"Have you been inside your bedroom lately to see all the pink stuff?" he couldn't help the smile.

"I didn't do that spoiling!" she said shaking her head back and forth. "Come on. We're almost done. Can you think of a decent T name?"

Fitz thought about it, but nothing came to him. "I can't. That's so strange."

"That should finish the list then!" Olivia announced.

"Here's what we do. Put the list in the middle of the table, and on separate pieces of paper, each of us write our favorite five names. Then we see if we have any of the same names on our lists."

"Then we take those few same names and choose a winner from there."

He chuckled at her. "We're not choosing a winner we're trying to choose a baby name."

"You know what I meant. I'll go get the paper." She came back to the table with two pieces of notebook paper and put one in front of Fitz. "You ready?"

"Born ready. But these will be in no particular order. Okay?"

"Fine."

Both of them numbered their papers from one to five and proceeded to silently look over the list of names they had called out. Fitz wrote down names he really liked as he came to them and ended up with nine names. He then left the master list with Liv and worked on whittling his nine names down to five. It took him quite a while and he wrestled with his choices.

Olivia looked over the entire list and thought about them all for a while before she began to write anything. They had come up with so many great names, but it would be nice to get the list cut in half and then go from there. Focusing on the task at hand, she looked over the entire list one more time and then made her choices. She ended up with six names and hoped Fitz wouldn't notice.

"Let's see what you came up with" Fitz said. He moved the master list out of the way and pushed the piece of paper with his choices on it towards Olivia. She handed him her list without comment and the moment his eyes fell on it he spotted the sixth name. His eyes shifted towards her, but Liv was doing her best to ignore him. She was a sneaky so and so.

"It looks like we have only one name in common. That's interesting."

Fitz didn't know what was so interesting about it, but he kept quiet and looked over her list of names. She had chosen some cute names. "I see that Edwina didn't make the short list."

"It didn't make the long list either."

"Let's see if we can get these eleven names, not ten, down to five."

Olivia never looked over at him but stuck her tongue out.

Grabbing the master list, he flipped it over and numbered the page one through five. "The one name we both wrote down goes at the top of the list. Let's pick the other four."

It took them some time, caused a mini argument, but an hour later the short list was completed. Fitz put it on the fridge and stuck a magnet for a pizza place over the bottom half. He and Liv stood there, hand in hand, looking at the names.

Abby came out of her room for something cold to drink. She saw the two of them staring at the fridge and went to stand beside them. "What are we doing? Is the fridge broken?"

"No, there are the five final baby names. One of the names on that piece of paper will be her name."

"Oh yea? Let's see what the two of you came up with." Abby pulled the paper off the fridge, knocking the magnet to the floor. "Brinley, Kiera, Riley, Savannah, and Mia. That's a solid list. I don't see Jordan, but I'm just the aunt I guess."

"She's sly with the guilt." Fitz told Olivia, jerking a thumb in Abby's direction.

"Oh yea, I picked up on that too." Olivia chuckled. "Sorry Abs. I added Jordan as a sixth name, but it didn't make it to the final round.

"If I get a vote, I pick this one. Since Jordan is out." Abby pointed at a name and handed Olivia the list before grabbing a bottle of water from inside the fridge and leaving them alone once again.

Olivia and Fitz went back to the table, where he pulled her onto his lap. Besides the faint noises coming from Abby's television in her bedroom, it was quiet. They sat there for a while before Olivia said, "let's go make a baby registry for the bigger items she is going to need."

"In a minute. Let me hold onto you first."

She laid her head down on his shoulder and enjoyed the quiet along with the feel of his arms. "It won't be too long, and we won't have all this peace and quiet."

"I plan to have you making all kinds of noises within an hour." he told her, smiling.

"Not that! I meant the baby!"

"Oh! The baby. Of course." he teased.

"It's gonna be different." Liv said shyly.

"A good kind of different though."

"According to your father, daughters are the best kind of kids to have." Fitz said, holding her close.

"Well, he would know."

"My father is beyond anxious to find out if girls are easier than boys. Not that I was a difficult son. I'm sure your daughter will be an angel."

Olivia put her arms around his neck and said, "According to Harrison, she's your daughter too."

"I'm sorry that he jumped to that concl..."

She put her index finger on his lips to silence him. "Don't be. I'm not."

Fitz wondered if she knew what she was doing to his heart. His eyebrows dropped and he asked, "you're not?"

Olivia shook her head back and forth. "I know we haven't been dating long and that the situation was less than ideal when we started, but it feels like we have known each other for so much longer than we actually have. And you have been patient and proved yourself to be trustworthy to me. I figured since you're planning to stick around and I plan on making sure she never knows who her father is, you might want to be..."

She wiped her eyes and chuckled. "These hormones are the worst. They make me cry at the craziest times."

He was looking intently into her eyes but couldn't bring himself to move or speak for fear that he would end up in tears too.

"I thought...you might want to be...her dad?" She let out a nervous breath and then finished her thought in a rush before the tears came in like a flood. "I know that this little girl will love you just as much as I do. And just like me, she'll be lucky to have you."

It was too late. The tears were running freely down Fitz's cheeks. He had no idea that Olivia wanted him to be that big of a part of her daughter's life. Sure, he planned to marry her one day, and naturally, people would assume that she was their child when the three of them were out together, but he never thought she would voice the words in a request to him. He knew that she didn't trust easily, and that she must have given a lot of thought about this request before she brought it to him. He was deeply touched.

However, he wiped his eyes and asked, "why can't you be a more patient woman, Livvie?"

That was not the answer Olivia was expecting, and she hoped the expression on her face made that clear to him. "I don't understand. What does my patience have to do with what I just asked you?"

Fitz put his hands on her hips and pushed her off of his lap. In a bored voice he told her, "come on. Let's go."


	16. So Much Better

**So Much Better**

"I thought...you might want to be...her dad?" She let out a nervous breath and then finished her thought before the tears came in like a flood. "I know that this little girl will love you just as much as I do. And just like me, she'll be lucky to have you."

It was too late. The tears were running freely down Fitz's cheeks. He had no idea that Olivia wanted him to be that big of a part of her daughter's life. Sure, he planned to marry her one day, and naturally, people would assume that she was their child when the three of them were out together, but he never thought she would voice the words in a request to him. He knew that she didn't trust easily, and that she must have given a lot of thought about this request before she brought it to him. He was deeply touched.

"Why can't you be a more patient woman, Livvie?"

That was not the answer Olivia was expecting, and she hoped the expression on her face made that clear to him. "I don't understand. What does my patience have to do with what I just asked you?"

Fitz put his hands on her hips and pushed her off of his lap. In a bored voice he told her, "come on. Let's go."

Confusion bloomed in her brain. What the hell was he talking about? And why did he sound so put off all of a sudden? Instead of following him, Olivia scowled and put her hands on her hips. "Go where, Fitz?"

"You'll see soon enough. Come on. Put your sandals on. You're gonna need them." he said in the same bored tone as he wiped his cheeks. On the inside he was bubbling over with nervous energy.

She'd go with him, but she wasn't gonna like it, no matter what it was. She had just bared her soul to him and his response was 'let's go'? No. That was not a proper response to her question so whatever was on his mind all of a sudden was not going to be important on her radar.

He had to avoid looking at her to keep from laughing. The internal argument was so apparent on her face, it was comical to say the least. His Livvie was pissed! Fitz supposed he couldn't blame her. He hadn't answered her question but had chastised her timing and changed the subject. Still, she was cute when she was mad. It was good to know for future reference. Not that he would tell her his observation on the matter. It would only piss her off even more.

Grabbing the keys to his car, Fitz opened the front door for Olivia and then followed her to the car to repeat the process for her. When he was settled in his own seat, he went to hold her hand, but she snatched it away. He grinned and slid his sunglasses on instead. She'd change her tune soon enough.

Olivia noticed that he had driven them to the beach, but instead of thinking he was sweet for bringing her to the best place for her to cool down she rolled her eyes. He was beginning to be predictable. Fitz stopped the car, got out, and went around to her side to open the door for her like he always did. Stepping out of the car, she paused when she realized Fitz had brought her to the same place on the beach as the day she'd had her ultrasound.

He was a few steps ahead of her, but instead of leading Olivia towards the water, he was leading her towards a house. She stopped in her tracks. "Fitz?" she hissed. "Didn't you tell me that this is private property?"

Fitz turned around and saw her looking up at the house. Without explanation he simply said, "yup" before reaching a hand back and wiggling his fingers, signaling for her to hurry up and take it. Which she did.

"What are we doing here?" she asked in an anxious tone.

"You'll see."

He led her up the two wooden steps to the front door of the beautiful home. Olivia looked to her left and right, knowing they were going to get caught being on private property. She watched him peer inside through the large glass window to the left of the door. Still holding his hand, she he gripped his forearm with her other hand and asked, "Why are you doing that?"

"Oh? You wanna go inside? Why didn't you say so?" He pulled a key from the pocket of his shorts and slid it into the lock. The door opened without a problem.

Olivia stared in wonder at him. Why did he have a key to this house that he knew was private property? And why wasn't he answering her question about what they were doing here?

She gripped his hand tighter and practically tiptoed inside behind him on the hard wood floors. The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside. It was open and well-lit from the large windows that faced the water. The view of the ocean was stunning. The living room walls were painted white, but the room was bare. There wasn't any furniture in it and Olivia found that odd.

Fitz led them into the kitchen, which was also painted white and had all beautiful stainless steel appliances. Olivia let go of his hand and ran hers across the smooth marble top of the island in the center of the room. Again, there wasn't any furniture, but the possibilities seemed endless.

He kept quiet and watched Olivia roam from room to room looking as long as she wanted before moving onto the next one. The two smaller bedrooms made her stop a little longer. She opened the closet doors and went to look out the windows with a smile on her face.

When she reached the master bedroom, her eyes became huge as she took it all in. The walls were the same boring color as the rest of the house, but it had two walls of windows that faced the beach. And up against one of the other walls was a king sized four poster bed. It was beautifully made up but with a plain blanket. Olivia's eyebrows dropped when she saw it. The bed looked so out of place in a house void of any other furniture.

Pointing at it, she turned to Fitz. "This is the only piece of furniture in this house?"

"Yup."

"Don't you find it strange that the only piece of furniture the owner has in this big beautiful house is a bed?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because the owner knew it would come in very handy."

"But not as handy as a sofa? Or a table?" Olivia asked bewildered.

"Those are important, and they will come in time, but the owner knew the bed would be needed immediately."

"I don't understand. And how do you know so much about the owner if this is private property?"

"Because I am the owner. Well, you and I together are the owners." Fitz said, gesturing with his hands.

Olivia stopped breathing. Surely, she hadn't heard him correctly. "What did you just say?"

He shrugged. "This is our house, Livvie."

"You bought a house for us?" She asked, looking around again. "This house? The one we're standing in to be specific?"

"I...did. I had a whole thing I was working on in a very specific order and time line. I was going to ask your dad if I could marry you, buy us a house; it had to be on the beach though because you love being on the beach and want your...sorry, our daughter to grow up near it, bring you here and propose to you..."

"Wha..I..."

"But then you had to screw up my timeline by asking me to be the bean's daddy." He held her shaking little hands with his. "So, I had to let you in on my plan earlier than I intended."

"Is that why this place isn't furnished? Because you didn't have time to?"

"No. It's not furnished because I thought you might want to do that yourself. Or we could do it together. Whatever you want."

The damned tears were back! She dropped her head to his chest in an attempt to try to get her hormones under control, but she should have known better. Fitz put his finger under her chin and lifted  
her gaze up to his. He waited her out, just like he had done ever since they met. And then Olivia's eyes went wide as saucers.

"If we're here so you can show me the house, does that mean...?" She swallowed hard and watched his smile grow a little as she tried in vain to get herself under control. It was no use though as her eyes and nose ran. Somehow she blubbered out, "does that mean that you already...talked to my dad?"

His smile turned into a grin, and he eagerly answered like a little kid. "Uh huh."

"And he said you could marry me?" she whispered.

Fitz nodded and decided to lighten the mood, to ease her tears. "He tried to pay me. Said please take her. The whole thing was embarrassing."

Olivia giggled then sniffed. She swatted him playfully. "He did not say that."

"No, he didn't. But he told me that I had his blessing to marry you. He said he couldn't imagine anyone loving you more than he did..."

Olivia was bawling now, but still listening to him.

"But he said he could tell that I loved you with my whole heart. Naturally, I agreed. And promised to take care of both you and princess bean."

"You said that to him?" she asked in a broken voice.

Fitz put his arms around her and held her close, knowing she was nowhere near done crying. "Of course I did. I promised that my girls would be well taken care of."

"You called us your girls?" She asked through loud sobs with her head still on his chest.

He grinned and shook his head back and forth for knowing this little trip would change her attitude. "Uh huh."

Once again, he put his finger under her chin and tilted it up until she was facing him. Her eyes were red and puffy, the little make up she had been wearing was long gone, and Fitz had never found her more beautiful. Pulling a box of tissues from the floor, he handed her one before giving her that damned lopsided smile again. "I need to ask you a question, Livvie."

That brought on fresh tears, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly at her. Life with Olivia was going to be anything but dull. He couldn't wait for them to get started on that life together. He watched her dab her eyes and wipe her nose before he got down on one knee.

"Ever since I met you, I felt a strange connection to you. I tried to ignore it, tried to push it from my mind, or reason it away as infatuation, but I couldn't escape it. Couldn't escape you. I had to be near you. And once I made peace with that, I came back to see if you felt it too."

"I had no idea you'd dismantle my life like you did..." she said with a watery grin.

"Livvie? I'm trying to propose here. It has to be special because we'll be telling our kids this story so many times, they will beg us to stop talking."

He said kids. Plural. Olivia smiled at the realization and softly said, "sorry."

"I know I haven't known you long, but I can't wait to spend forever with you." He pulled a small, black, velvet ring box from under the bed mattress and held it towards her between his thumb and index finger. "Marry me, Livvie. I promise to make you and our daughter the happiest girls in the world."

He had already made her beyond happy. It didn't matter that they hadn't known each other very long. Olivia knew that Fitz was the one for her. He stood up for her, he supported her, he went out of his way to be patient with her, and he didn't let her think less than good things about herself. He truly was one in a million. And he was going to be her husband. The thought alone had her tears drying and a blissful smile covering her face. Her arms opened anxiously and moved towards his neck when she giddily answered, "yes."

The two of them embraced, pulled apart, and began breathlessly kissing when Olivia abruptly stopped. Fitz froze in fear and panic. "What is it? Is it the baby? Are you okay?"

He was gonna laugh at her. "Where's my ring?"

Fitz chuckled and told her, "I love your greedy side. But before I give you your engagement ring, I want you to know that this ring has been in my family for two generations."

Her eyes went wide and zeroed in on the ring. "What? Are you serious?"

"I am. It belonged to my grandmother, my father's mom. When my dad wanted to ask my mother to marry him, his mother gave him her first set of wedding rings. She only had sons, so there were no daughters to pass the rings down to." Fitz explained with his eyes on the ring too.

"Wow. That's really amazing, Fitz. But are you sure your dad wants to part with them? I'm not going to. be disappointed if he would rather keep them. Honest."

"It was dad's idea. He told me they were made to be on a finger and yours is a good one."

"Your dad is absolutely precious. I already love him, and this baby is gonna have him wrapped around her little finger in no time. I have a feeling." she told him with a smile. "So. How long do I have to wait for the next set?"

"What? What do you mean?" he was genuinely confused.

"Well, your grandmother got more than one set of wedding rings, and your mother did too. I'm just wondering when I get another set too?"

Grinning down at her, Fitz said, "don't push it, greedy."

He slid the ring on the third finger of her left hand and brought it to his lips, planting a soft kiss there.

"What was the kiss for?" Olivia asked, as she held out her left hand and admired his exquisite taste.

"To seal the deal." he informed her.

She took his hand with a smile on her face and said, "I thought that's what the bed was for?"

Fitz scooped her up in his arms as she squealed, and his own smile doubled in size. "See? I told you the owner knew it would come in handy."

Olivia held onto his neck as he pulled the blanket back and laid her down on their bed as if she were made of glass. When his body was hovering over hers and he was looking down at her with so much love written on his face. "I absolutely love my ring, Fitz. Thank you. But you know, I've never had a fiancé. I wonder if that makes sex any better?"

This little smart mouth woman was going to be his wife. Soon if he had his way about it. With a funny little grin he told her, "I've never had a fiancé before either so I wouldn't know. But we're both about to find out. I love you, Liv and I meant it when I said I'd make you the happiest woman on earth."

"You already have made me happier than I could ever dream. And you really surprised me." She said looking up at him with a contented smile on her face. "We have a lot to do before our little girl arrives."

"Oh yea? Like what?"

"We have to get this house furnished with at least the basics, plan a wedding and actually get married, and..."

"Hey, hey, hey. Liv?"

"What? My mind is running a hundred miles an hour trying to make a list of all the things we need to do. It's a lot!"

"The only thing we need to be doing right this minute is spend some time alone and naked and warm in our new bed."

Olivia smiled up at him. "Ohhhh, you want to spend some time alone with your new fiancé in our new bed in our new house?"

"MmmHmm." was his throaty reply.

"Does that mean we can't christen all of the other rooms in our new house?"

"You dirty little woman, Olivia Grant!"

She giggled at his shock but stilled abruptly. "What did you just call me?"

Smiling down at her, Fitz repeated it. "Olivia Grant."

"That has a nice ring to it." She held out her left hand with a smile of her own. "Speaking of nice rings. You did good, Mister."

"You know I find it incredibly sexy when you call me that." He dipped his head and captured her lips in a soft kiss as his hips pushed forward pressing his hard length deep inside of her. "This is gonna be so much better than it was before."

"You bet your ass it is, Mister."


	17. Details

**Details**

Olivia had so much to talk to Abby about. She hadn't told her best friend about the gorgeous beach house Fitz had bought for the two of them to live in. She hadn't told Abby that he was going to let her choose the furniture, towels, bed sheets, and everything else a house needs for people to live in it either. Olivia hadn't even shown her best friend the house yet.

Neither had she told Abby about how Fitz had brought her to the strange house without telling her it was theirs and walked through it with her before dropping to his knee and proposing to her. She hadn't yet gone in great detail about Fitz's corny jokes that had made her cry, how he had explained to her that he had gone to her father beforehand and asked him if he could marry her. Abby didn't know about how after he had proposed, the two of them had spent the next few hours in bed professing their love for each other and showing it in lots of different ways. And Olivia hadn't told her that the day ended with the two of them wrapped up in each other's arms and the thin blanket from their huge bed out on their back porch watching the waves crash.

The reason Olivia hadn't shared any of that goodness with her best friend is because she knew Abby would be less than thrilled instead of overly excited about it. The news itself was exciting, but how it would ultimately affect Abby wasn't. Marrying Fitz was what Olivia wanted, Abby knew. But that would mean that Olivia would have to move out of their small beach house. The one they had signed a yearlong lease for not that long ago.

It had been three days since Fitz had proposed, and Olivia still hadn't told her best friend about any of the changes that were going to happen to both of them because of it. She was beginning to feel guilty. For not being a better friend and giving Abby a heads up about the situation. Olivia knew the more time Abby had while Olivia was still living there, the more time Abby had to find a suitable roommate. She needed to talk to Abs.

She was sitting at the kitchen table, absently twirling her engagement ring with her thumb as she tried to come up with a plan to talk to Abby and keep the peace. She was lost in thought about the whole situation when Stephen and Abby walked through the front door laughing.

"I told you the wallpaper in the bathroom was hysterical!" Abby told him as she made her way to the fridge. She handed him a bottle of water and held onto one for herself.

"Yea but the fact that it said wiener rides twenty five cents was a bit much." He took a drink and then stopped suddenly. "Wait! How did you know what the wallpaper in the loo looks like?"

Abby gave him a devious grin and shrugged. "Wild guess?"

"Did you take him to the Rooster?" Olivia asked.

"Yea. It was fun. Turns out Stephen is an excellent dancer. Who knew?"

"Wow. Maybe the four of us need to go together some time?" Olivia asked.

"That would be fun! You haven't gotten out of the house much lately. It would do you some good." Abby told her friend.

"I'll be getting out of the house soon enough" Olivia muttered quietly.

"What was that?" Abby asked.

"Can I talk to you, Abs?" Olivia asked. "I don't want to interrupt your time with Stephen though, so it can wait until tomorrow."

"It's fine, Liv. I've been trying to find a way to sneak off for a few minutes myself. I need to answer some work emails. I'll go into Abby's room to give you two girls some privacy." Stephen told them. He pecked Abby's lips and disappeared.

"What's up?" Abby asked.

"Maybe this is a bad idea since Stephen is here. It can wait until tomorrow." Olivia said, feeling like a chicken.

"Spill it, momma. What's going on?"

Olivia quietly put both of her hands on top of the table and waited for Abby to notice her ring. It took her a while and when Olivia was beginning to feel like Abby would never notice it, her friend tipped her water up to take a swig. And then coughed, sputtering water everywhere as her finger pointed at Liv's hand. Olivia pounded her on the back until Abby stopped coughing.

"What the hell is that?!" Abby shrieked with her eyes peeled on Olivia's hand.

"A ring."

"Obviously. Is that an engagement ring?"

Olivia nodded, too scared to talk.

"Ohmygod! Fitz proposed to you?"

"Yes."

"Fitz proposed to you! That's so amazing!" Abby snatched Olivia's left hand and was closely inspecting the ring as she rattled off questions. "When did it happen? How did he do it? Did he get down on one knee and say a bunch of sappy words? Was it the most romantic thing in the world? I bet it was. I bet it was fantastic and perfect and ohmygod I'm gonna cry."

"Wow. Calm down. That's a lot of questions. He proposed to me three days ago. He..."

Abby's head snapped up and she squinted intensively at Olivia. "Three days? Fitz proposed to you almost a week ago and you didn't tell me until this minute? Why not?"

"I didn't know you'd be so happy about it." Olivia told her as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why wouldn't I be happy for you? This is fantastic news!" Abby gushed, still holding Olivia's hand.

"I thought so too." Olivia answered with a wistful smile.

"Tell me everything and don't leave out any details! It's been three days. You've probably forgotten half of them already. Dammit, Liv! You should have told me the second that ring slid onto your finger." Abby lamented as she took a chair at the kitchen table.

"I wasn't really thinking about anything other than how Fitz was making me feel once that ring was on my hand. If you know what I mean?"

"You dirty little harlot! The two of you got engaged and then did the wild thing all night. Is that it?" Abby asked with a wicked grin.

"Pretty much." Olivia replied giggling. "Abby, he asked my dad if he could marry me before he proposed."

"Ohmygod. That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard." Abby told Liv with a soft sigh. And then she crinkled her nose. "Wait! I didn't know guys did that anymore? I bet your parents are more in love with Fitz than you are." Abby said laughing. "So, where did he pop the question?"

"Well, that's part of the reason why I didn't tell you before now." This would be the hard part. Olivia's thumb began to twirl her ring again.

"You guys got kicked out of Olive Garden for getting frisky at the table?" Abby asked wiggling her eyebrows.

Olivia snorted. "No. Weirdo. Fitz has bought us a house to live in once we get married. He proposed to me there."

"Holy shit! He bought you a house?" The redhead exclaimed. "Where is it? What does it look like? Why haven't you shown it to me yet? It's a fixer upper isn't it? A shit hole? And you're embarrassed by it until it's completely renovated or something like that? I'll help however I can."

"It's not a fixer upper, Abby. Far from it. The house is right on the beach. It's not very far from here as a matter of fact. It has three bedrooms and lots of open space for the bean to run around in. It's really beautiful, but it's empty. Like, there's hardly any furniture in it right now. It needs to be painted inside too and Fitz said I could paint and decorate it however I want. So, I'm glad you want to help. I was kinda counting on that. I can't wait to show it to you." Olivia gushed. This was going so much better than she had anticipated.

"That's so romantic, Liv. Have you guys set a date yet? It'll be some time next year, I'm sure. After the peanut is here, right? This is just so great!"

"Well...yes. We have set a date. But it's not next year." That feeling of dread was beginning to creep back inside of her.

"Oh? You're gonna wait until the peanut is able to walk? Awww, she could be your flower girl. That would be so cute, Liv. The three of you standing together. And we could put flowers in her hair and..."

"Abby. We're not waiting that long to get married."

"I don't understand."

"We're getting married this year. September twenty third."

"But that's just around the corner. It's like a little over two months away! Are you guys insane?"

"We didn't want to wait. We want to be married by the time she's born." Olivia said rubbing her belly. "And it's gonna be a super small ceremony. There will be like fifty people there, max. And most of them will be people Fitz knows."

"Wow. Well, in that case, we have a lot of work to do in a little time. We can totally do it though. We're bad..."

Olivia watched as the math began to add up for Abby. Her face went from excited to questioning to disbelief.

"Wait. So, you're moving out and getting married this year?" she asked softly.

"Yea" Olivia replied just as softly. "I am."

"I'm happy for you. I really am. You guys are gonna make each other so happy. I know that you and Fitz love each other. It's like the two of you were meant to be in some weird cosmic way or something that will last forever, but...what about the lease on this house?" Abby held her hands, out palms up. "We still have several months left and I can't swing the rent and all the other bills by myself."

"What about asking Stephen to live here? He might be interested in being your roommate?" Olivia suggested.

"I'm not living with Stephen!" Abby stated. "It was supposed to be you and me here for a year. After that we were going to see where we were. See if we wanted to live here another year or go in a different direction."

"I didn't plan this. It just happened. I'm sorry, Abby."

"Of course you didn't. Neither one of us thought we'd be single for the rest of our lives." Abby gave Olivia a smile and hugged her tightly. "I'm really happy for you and Fitz. The three of you are going to be the cutest little family ever. We just need to come up with a plan for the remainder of the lease. If you hear about anyone looking for a roommate that doesn't scream murderer or psycho, then let me know."

"I definitely will. We still have a couple of months to find someone. Something will come up."

Abby took her hands and gave Olivia a smile. "Hey. I'm glad you told me your exciting news. Don't ever feel like you have to stifle your joy because of how you think I'll react. My best friend is getting married! I'm so so happy for you guys. And, we'll figure out this roommate situation soon. Like you said, something will come up."

"Now that we have that all worked out, I need to talk to you about something serious."

"That wasn't serious enough?"

Olivia put her arm around her best friend and said, "Fitz and I want to get married right on the beach in front of our new house. I don't know where we'll have the reception yet, but we'll have to figure that out later. I'm going to need a ton of help finding a dress, flowers, reception location, and a cake. There is so much to do in such a short amount of time."

"Pffff. You and me...and yanno, Fitz when necessary, can handle all of that. We'll make a list of what we need to get done and start making sub lists under each item. Places to call, people to talk to, prices quoted. We'll knock this out in no time at all." Abby declared with more boldness than she actually felt. Whatever it took to keep the mommy to be relaxed and stress free.

She was starting to feel a little calmer now that she was talking everything out with Abby. She still hadn't gotten the point, but she was getting there. "Okay, but I'm gonna get stressed out, have meltdowns, freak out, and cry, probably on a daily basis the closer we get to the day of the wedding. If planning this wedding doesn't make me a crazy person, these pregnancy hormones definitely will. Will you be able to live with me like that?"

Abby shrugged. "It sounds like nothing is gonna change much really."

Olivia grinned at her chill friend. She was going to enjoy watching her best friend come unglued. "Good. As long as you're prepared and know what you're getting yourself into. Now, I'd like to get the first order of wedding business taken care of right now."

"Now?" Abby asked. She looked around the kitchen. "Do I need to find a pen and paper for this?"

"Nope."

"Okay. What is it?" The redhead asked nervously.

"I'd like for you to be my maid of honor at my tiny wedding. What do you think?"

"Are you serious?" Abby asked with wide shocked eyes.

Olivia nodded with a huge smile.

Abby screamed loudly, grabbed Liv in a hug and began to jump up and down. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! Of course I will!"

Stephen dashed into the kitchen with wide wild eyes, breathing heavy, and looking around for an armed gunman or something equally dangerous based on all the noise he had just heard. When he didn't see one, he said, "what the hell is going on out here?"

Abby and Olivia exchanged a look and then burst into wild laughter.

"What am I missing? Two seconds ago, both of you were screaming like lunatics, and now you're laughing together? What gives?"

Abby looked at Olivia and asked, "can I tell him?"

Olivia nodded excitedly.

"Liv and Fitz are getting married and..." Abby began excitedly.

"Heyyyyy! congratulations, Liv." Stephen said pulling her in for a hug as he listened to the rest.

"Thank you" Olivia said hugging him back.

"...and she just asked me to be her maid of honor." Abby said with a grin.

"Ohhh, now I understand the real reason for the screaming." Stephen chuckled. "Abby is excited about getting a new dress and new shoes."

"He knows you so well, Abs." Olivia chuckled.

The front door opened, and Fitz walked in. He looked at Stephen and Liv hugging and said teasingly, "get your hands off my girlfriend, mate!"

"Don't you mean your fiancé?" Abby asked in a challenging tone.

Fitz grinned proudly and pulled Olivia into his arms, rubbing noses with her. "I do."


	18. Pier-ipheral Vision

**Pier-ipheral Vision**

"Come on, Liv. You've been busy with wedding stuff and house stuff. You're still working full time, and you're past the halfway point in your pregnancy. You need to ease up a little. An afternoon outside is all I'm suggesting."

Olivia squinted up at him. "Ease up? Do you think for one minute that the wedding stuff or house stuff is going to take care of itself? No! And I'm well aware of how far along I am into this pregnancy because I feel like a beached whale. And I work full time because right now I can. It helps keep me stay active on my feet, which is a good thing, or I'd look like a beached...I dunno...something bigger than a whale!"

Fitz held the palm of his hands in her direction and gave her a nervous look. "Babe? I come in peace, okay? I get it. I said the wrong thing just now. I'm very sorry. Can I please start over?"

She tilted her head, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and raised her eyebrows in a challenging fashion at him, but said nothing.

"You are amazing. You are going out of your way to plan the perfect wedding for us, and I know it's going to be incredible. I cannot wait to marry you, Liv." He watched her drop her crossed arms and rest her hands on her belly instead, rubbing little circles on it. This was progress.

"And I know our house is going to be the envy of everyone who can only look at it from the road. I don't care about the color of the towels or what design is on the plates." He watched her hands freeze and blurted out the rest. "But you do. And that's going to be what makes it feel like a home instead of just a house. And I promise I will be more helpful with that stuff from now on."

Olivia's eyebrows went back to their normal place on her forehead and she straightened her head.

"And I know you're freaking out about your belly but believe me when I tell you that pregnancy looks amazing on you. You are growing our little bean and she needs room to move in there. You are mindful of what you eat, and we go for walks on your days off, and you need to know that you can't expect to stay a size two while carrying a baby. So, let that shit go, Liv!"

"Are you done now?" she asked.

He thought he was, but she had just made him doubt himself. In a voice he wasn't sure came out sounding as confident as he'd hoped, Fitz said, "yes?"

Catching him off guard, she smiled at him before getting up on her tiptoes and pulling him close for a hug. "Thank you. I'm sorry I bit your head off."

In a very pitiful voice he told her, "you left teeth marks on my neck."

It took everything in her to not reply with sarcasm. Instead, she chuckled softly into his ear. "I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to help. And you thought you'd take me out of the house to spend a few hours at the beach. That's kinda sweet."

"It is kinda sweet." Fitz said, pulling out of her neck so she could see his irresistible lopsided grin. "Something sweet like that deserves a prize, don't you think?"

"It definitely deserves a prize." She agreed, grinning right back at him. This man and his prizes. "What kind of prize would you like?"

Fitz knew they didn't have time for the kind of prize he had in mind. Not right now. So, he got creative with his answer. "What if the prize is collected at a later date and time?"

Olivia knew he was a sneaky so and so, but she wasn't going to complain about it. If he wanted to wait, that was fine. "I can go along with that. I'd really like to give you a kiss though. To make me feel better. Is that okay?"

"MmmHmm." Leaning down Fitz tilted his head and connected his lips to Olivia's in a feather soft kiss. He felt her tongue slide into his mouth, and he sucked on it until her hands slid down his back and grabbed his ass. His brain barely recognized what his body was doing before he had Olivia through her bedroom door, leading the way towards her bed.

He mentally chastised himself and then broke the kiss. "Sorry, Liv. I guess I got caught up."

"Dammit. I was this close to getting you into that bed!" she whined.

"Normally, I would be thrilled to death with you taking charge of our sex life. But we are on a very tight schedule and there is no veering from it. Get your sexy little ass out the door. If I have to throw you into the ocean to cool you down, I'll do it. Besides, you don't want Abby and Stephen walking in on us. I can't wait until we are in our own place and won't have to worry about that anymore."

"I just wanted to get laid. Is that a crime these days" Olivia grumbled under her breath? She walked out the door, but she wasn't happy about it.

Fifteen minutes later, Fitz pulled into a parking space at the beach. It was a hot July day, but the sun was covered up by the heavily clouded sky, making it impossible for the sun to directly bear down on everyone trying to enjoy their day underneath it.

He got out of his seat and went around to open the door for Olivia. The moment she got out of the car Fitz watched her stress begin to fade away. She smiled and tilted her head up, taking a deep breath. He was happy to have a relaxed fiancé, even if it was just for a little while. Fitz kissed her cute little nose and the two of them started walking.

They trudged side by side up the worn wooden steps that led to the pier they planned to walk the length of as many times as they wanted today. There were lots of people at the beach today, but instead of it making things seem unbearable, they added to the overall excitement.

Once they reached the pier Fitz headed towards the long wooden path that led to deeper water, but Olivia tugged on his arm catching him off guard. He turned to look at her and asked, "what's the matter?"

"Nothing. I saw something I like." She told him shyly. "Look! Ice cream."

"I saw something I like earlier too, but here we are." he told her with a grin.

Holding up her palm towards him, Olivia replied, "uh uh! We are on a very tight schedule and the world would stop spinning if we veered off course. Or something like that."

Fitz pulled her into his arms and began to sway with her. "You'd better hope our daughter gets all of my charm and none of your sass."

"Is that a fact?" Olivia asked with a grin. "I hope our daughter gets my sense of humor and none of yours."

He stopped moving and his mouth formed a little o as he acted like he was wounded by her words. "I'm funny, Liv."

She shrugged. "You're okay. I'm a lot funnier."

"I bet I can make you laugh." Fitz said in a challenging tone.

Olivia propped her hand on her hip. "Pffff. Try me."

Instead of a joke or one liner, Fitz's long fingers dug into her ribs causing her to squeal with laughter. It caused a few people around them to stop and look at them, giving strange looks and a wide berth. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Olivia begged through her laughter.

"Truce? We want our daughter to have equal parts of you and me in her. Right?" Fitz asked, holding out his hand.

"Right." Olivia replied, holding out her right hand to shake with his. As their hands connected and began pumping, she whispered, "just a little more of me is all I'm saying."

"Olivia Grant! You little cheater!" Fitz pulled her back into his arms with a big stupid grin on his face. Looking down at her, he felt his heart swell with so much love. "I love you, you know."

"It makes me smile like an idiot every time you tell me." she informed him.

"Your face is going to get tired from smiling because I'm going to say it every day for the rest of our lives."

"You'd better, Mister. Now gimme a kiss."

"A please would be nice. You really need to brush up on your manners, Livvie. We're gonna have a baby in the house soon and she needs to have manners too." he was grinning as he said it.

"I never said where I wanted the kiss." Olivia said with a flirty smile.

"Liv!" Fitz leaned closer to her as he felt a familiar twitch in his shorts as he clenched his jaw. "You can't say things like that to me when we're out in public!"

"Well...I just did. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Just you wait until I remind you of the prize you owe me. I haven't forgotten, you know."

"Can I have a kiss now or what? Pleeeeease?"

Fitz gladly obliged his fiancé with a soft romantic kiss before leading her over to the souvenir store to buy them ice cream cones. Five minutes later, Olivia and Fitz were taking their time, walking the length of the pier, hand in hand, licking their quickly melting ice cream cones.

"Better?" he asked. He knew the summer weather was a bit stifling and Fitz wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. It was good to see her stop and breathe.

"Mmmm." She squeezed his hand as she ate her ice cream. When her mouth was empty, she told him, "I really needed this. Thank you."

They walked in silence for a little while and when Olivia's cone was gone she told Fitz, "if you had told me at the beginning of the year that I'd be pregnant, move away from my parents, getting married, and buying a house, I would have laughed in your face."

"Life is very good at throwing us curve balls when we least expect it" he replied.

"Bet your ass, Mister."

Fitz sat down on a nearby wooden bench that looked weathered and worn, but sturdy enough. He pulled Olivia onto his lap and they sat there looking at the water for a while through the wooden rails. "If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that I would be helplessly in love with a woman and wind up proposing in a very suave Carey Grant type of fashion, and become a dad by the end of the year, I would have called you crazy. But here we are."

Olivia smiled and turned her head to look at him. "Yea. Here we are. You realize that you're definitely getting the better end of this deal, right?"

His arms snaked around her waist and came to rest of her growing belly. "Tell me about it. I'm very lucky. And very excited to become your husband and treat you like a queen to be adored every single day. But I really can't wait to meet her and be her dad too."

She decided to delve a little deeper on the subject while they were talking about it. "How many kids do you see us having after the bean gets here?"

He never hesitated. "At least two more."

"Really? Your kid number is three?"

"No" he corrected. "I said, 'at least three' If we're being serious, my kid number is four. As an only child who desperately wanted siblings, I'd love to have four kids. Two girls and two boys would be ideal, but I wouldn't put any of them back if we didn't get that."

"That's so nice to know." Olivia told him dryly.

"While we're on the subject, what's your kid number, Livvie?" He had never heard her say how many siblings she'd like the bean to have eventually, so Fitz was very interested in her answer.

"At least two, but not more than three." She said firmly.

Challenge accepted, he thought to himself. He wasn't about to share those words with her right now. Instead, he said, "I can live with that."

"Do you think there would be any weirdness between the bean and the ones that come later? The ones that will be biologically yours? I mean, would you treat them all the same?" She was nervous about his answer because they had never really discussed this stuff before.

Instead of answering her, Fitz got to his feet and brought Olivia to hers. He sat her back down on the bench and kneeled in front of her and took her hands in his. She had that pregnancy glow he had read about in the baby books. Her skin looked even more beautiful somehow, and he took a minute to just look at her before he realized that it was making her nervous instead of calming her fears. "There are lots of reasons why I can promise you that there won't be any weirdness between our kids."

"Tell me some of them. Please."

"First of all, they will all be my kids. My goal is to adopt the bean."

"You...want to...adopt her?" Dammit! It's like it was his mission in life to make her cry everyday by saying something sweet.

"You asked me if I wanted to be her dad and I said yes. I plan on making that a legit thing one day. That's going to mean me having a face to face talk with her father, but I'm okay with that. The second her mother says 'I do' she'll be a Grant too. I mean, she already is really, but we need to do it legally. We need to make it official."

He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry, Livvie. Is that okay with you? If I adopt the bean and make her a Grant? We can tell her about her father when she's old enough to understand it all and scream 'I hate you' before slamming her bedroom door."

"She's not allowed to hate anyone." Olivia said sniffing. "And after the first time any of our kids slam their bedroom door, it will be taken off its hinges and they will have no door at all."

"I think I'm gonna like parenting with you, badass momma. That's kinda sexy to imagine. I'm gonna buy you a tool belt. Mmmmm." It really was sexy to imagine.

"Fitz?" Olivia said in a warning tone.

"Yea, you got that momma tone down pat already."

"I'm not kidding around here."

"Sorry. Will you talk to me like that later though?"

She chuckled, just like he wanted her to, erasing her tears immediately. "You are beyond ridiculous."

"I know, but what can you do about it?"

She let go of his hands and cupped his cheeks. "Of course, I'm okay with you adopting the bean and making her a Grant, if that's what you want to do. Do you want to ask your dad first to make sure he's ok with that addition to the family?"

"He called me last night and threatened to kick my ass if I didn't ask your permission by the end of the weekend. I think we have his vote."

"I really love you, you know. I'm touched that you want to adopt her and make her legally yours."

He leaned closer and touched his lips to hers in a soft peck. "Can we go home so I can really touch you?"

"Fitz?" Olivia said softly between kisses.

"Hmmm?"

"This little girl of ours really does need a name soon."

"Delores is sweeping the nation." he replied, trying to get her back on her feet. He wasn't kidding about going home and touching her.

Olivia nipped at his bottom lip. "We aren't naming our daughter Delores, Fitz."

Nuzzling in her neck to prevent his lips from being nipped any further, Fitz softly asked, "What about Riley?"

He felt her go still and knew she was thinking it over. Letting the name marinate for a minute. "If you want a more feminine sounding name or if you hate it all together then..."

"No!" Olivia pulled her head back to look him in the eye. She was smiling. "If the bean is going to be a Grant, then her daddy should pick her name."

Really?" he asked feeling a bit teary eyed himself.

"Yea" Olivia said nodding. "Besides, it was the one name you picked out that I actually really like."

"I did ask you to put a star next to it, Mrs. Grant." Fitz reminded her.

"You did." Olivia nodded. "You got to pick the first name, but I get to choose the middle name."

"Okay, but I am NOT sitting down with you and Abby and going through the alphabet again. I will absolutely positively lose my..."

"Hey! Calm down." Olivia told him with a smile. "It just so happens that I have one already picked out."

He squinted at her. "You do?"

"MmmHmm. Amelia."

Fitz practically stopped breathing. "Why Amelia?"

"Well," she began, crinkling her nose. "You're not the only sneaky one in this family. I had breakfast with your dad at Waffle World the other day and...spoiler alert... I didn't propose or anything."

"But, Liv..."

She leaned closer and softly said, "I'm not done yet. Save your questions for the end please."

He nodded mutely.

"I asked him what your mother's name was. I was shocked to learn that it was..."

"Amelia." Fitz supplied.

"Amelia." Olivia echoed. "If Riley is going to be a Grant, then she should know where comes from. A little piece of her grandmother might be a good place to start. And...Mia is short for Amelia and that was one of the names on our list. So, technically we are still using the top five."

"I love you so much. Thank you, babe." He kissed her softly, his heart and head still so overwhelmed by her gesture.

Breaking the kiss, Fitz squatted in front of her and leaned closer to Olivia's belly with a proud grin on his face. He gently ran his fingers over it in a soothing pattern. "Hey little bean. It's your daddy. I'm here to tell you that you finally have a name now. Isn't that great? Your name is Riley Amelia. And now that I think about it, this is your first public embarrassing by your dad. Sorry about that, kiddo. Probably won't be the last one either."

Olivia chuckled and listened to Fitz talk to her belly. He was already the cutest dad, and their baby wasn't even here yet. Looking down at him, Olivia noticed that Fitz needed a haircut. She made a mental note to make him an appointment soon.

"We can't wait to meet you, Riley. Your mommy and I love you so much."

"That was really sweet." Olivia said, giving him a smile.

"It was really sweet wasn't it?" he asked with a grin.

"Do not ask me for another prize, Fitz." Olivia half threatened with a chuckle before puckering her lips at him.

Another set of blue eyes was glued to their open display of affection not far away on the pier. Nervous energy ran through his veins while he kept his eyes on Olivia. He had finally found her! She was right there! He couldn't hear everything they were saying because of all the damned people, but he'd heard plenty of information.

Collin watched Olivia kiss the asshole as if he was her reason for living. And the asshole calling her by a new last name hadn't escaped him either. Either she was using an alias, or she had gotten married. Based on the impressive piece of ice on her left hand, he'd guess marriage. That was quick.

Olivia and the asshole were kissing, holding hands, and basically look like the poster couple for being in love. Seeing it up close brought back the anger and pain he had felt when she disappeared without a word.

He recalled how he had tried getting in touch with her for over two weeks, using the phone he had bought her shortly after they had begun dating. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't answer him to explain herself. Where had she gone? When was she coming back? And most importantly, why had she left in the first place.

Collin shot daggers at the asshole with his eyes. He didn't seem like Olivia's type. He was tall and kinda goofy looking. He always had his hands on her too. Collin recalled how Olivia had claimed it made her feel like he was treating her like an object instead of a person whenever he did that. Based on what he was seeing, she didn't seem to mind it at all now. It appeared that some things had changed since she had left town.

If things were over between him and Olivia as they appeared, he could deal with that. If she had moved on and met someone else, it wasn't the end of the world. He wasn't possessive of her. Not really. An explanation would be nice. It would be the decent thing for her to do too.

Some things had changed, but others hadn't. Olivia was still drop dead gorgeous. Her hair was shiny and beautiful, and his fingers itched to touch it again. She always had the softest hair. God, he missed her.

While he had his eyes focused on her smile and her hair, Collin hadn't missed the fact that Olivia was pregnant. He was no expert on what pregnant women looked like at the different stages, but she had a pretty big gut so she must be kinda far along. Unless she met goofy the week after she left town and got pregnant by him, she probably hadn't gotten rid of his baby like they had discussed and that was why she took off.

A baby wasn't on his radar. Not for years. But if Olivia was carrying his child and keeping it from him, that was not okay. The two of them would have to have a talk about it. Minus the asshole, of course. He'd have to think about how to get her alone so they could talk.

He was grateful for the crowds of people at the beach today. They provided the cover he needed to keep an eye on her from a distance. He was equally grateful for the hasty way in which she left town. Once his mind came to grips with the fact that she wasn't planning on contacting him or coming back, he drank himself into oblivion for weeks in an attempt to forget all about her. When he sobered up, he realized he was still desperate to know where she was.

It took him some time to get caught up on the work he had slacked off on. A clear head brings clear thinking, and Collin realized he needed to leave the alcohol alone. At least until he found Olivia. And then he'd have a victory drink. Or three.

Every room in his house was meticulously inspected for any shred of information leading to where she was, or where her parents lived for that matter. He looked in every cabinet, every dresser or desk, and in every drawer. Finally, after an exhaustive search, he found an old bill with her name on it that had slid underneath the sofa. The mailing envelope had an address for the next town, and it was then that he remembered Olivia mentioning as being the one her parents lived in.

So, he sat in his car on their street at different times and watched for movement from the house. He followed from a distance anyone coming or going until he found Olivia. And then one day he struck gold. Liv's mother drove to this little beach town and pulled up in front of a cute little house right on the water. Collin didn't actually see Olivia that day, but he drove back down here today to see if this was where she was living. He ended up following her and the asshole to the beach from what appeared to be their cozy little love shack.

He wanted nothing more than to walk over here and confront both of them. The look on Olivia's face would be well worth it. Not today though. Today was just for observing. He planned to keep an eye on her for a few weeks and see what he could learn about the baby situation. He'd have to be careful to stay out of her sight though. She had run away from him for a reason. A reason he wanted to know about. He'd ask her when they talked privately.

For now, though, he needed to leave. He had seen more than enough for one day. Maybe he'd go back to the house and look around inside? He glanced at them once more. They were holding hands and walking at a leisurely pace with big happy smiles. They'd be here for a while, and that would give him plenty of time to do a quick sweep of the place. He decided he had pressed his luck enough for this first visit. He'd go home now and begin potting his next move and look into his rights for paternity.

**To anyone who is questioning how big of a pain in the booty Collin will be...please see Will Swann in DC. Olitz is endgame so just breathe & enjoy the ride, y'all!**

**First of all, SHOUT OUT to Naja1218 for giving me the suggestion of using Fitz's mothers name as the bean's middle name. It was too perfect to turn away! I had already decided to use Amelia & then mention it could be shortened to Mia - which was 1 of the 2 final names on the poll I held on Twitter.**

**Second of all, I know that Mia won that poll, but as ms_tlovee pointed out to me, in the recently completed story Home, Mia was Olivia's daughter's name. It didn't sit well with me to use the same name for a child under the same circumstances. So, I wrote it this way. And, I really wanted the only name Fitz picked and was excited about to be her name.**

**Lastly, thank you for all the love you guys have shown this story. It's amazing to me that anyone would read my stuff. I appreciate you all! xo**


	19. What She Needs

**What She Needs**

Olivia laid in bed with a smile on her face. She had been awake for quite some time. Before the sun had even come up. She just couldn't sleep. Today was the day that her parents, Max, Abby, and Stephen were all meeting over at the new house to help paint the walls inside.

She and Fitz had spent weeks picking out the colors for each of the rooms together. Every room in the house, with the exception of the second smaller bedroom was to be painted. Olivia wanted to leave it white for now. In the back of her mind, she decided if anyone came along to live in there, then it would get painted. Until then it would stay neutral. In the back of Fitz's mind, it was going to be his office and he really didn't care what color the walls were.

A big part of Olivia's excitement was knowing this was one of the very last things that had to be done before she and Fitz moved into their new house. They would have to wait for the paint fumes to clear out, but that was okay because the living room furniture hadn't been delivered yet. Both she and Fitz were pretty determined to have everything in place before they officially moved in for good. Not having something small like a blender was no big deal, but they had to have somewhere to sit down. Of course, Fitz had told Liv that he would be happy to spend all of their time in their brand new bed together. Olivia giggled at the thought of it and turned her head to see the man with the smart mouth blissfully asleep beside her in her bed.

Fitz was lying on his side with his hands tucked underneath his pillow. He looked so peaceful and relaxed. She gazed at his handsome face as she listened to the hypnotic sound of his deep breathing. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his tan, broad, well defined chest made her fingers want to touch him. She didn't know why his chest was such a huge turn on to her, but she didn't care. It just was.

Of course, knowing he slept in the nude was a turn on too. Fitz had a great body and Olivia wasn't shy to take advantage of it whenever she wanted to. Being very careful not to wake him up, Olivia pinched the edge of the sheet and lifted it to look underneath. She was getting an eye full and was contemplating heading down south for breakfast in bed when his voice sliced through the silence. "Can I help you?"

Fitz had been awake long before Livvie woke up. He'd watched her sleep for a while, marveling at her quiet beauty. He'd even rubbed little circles on her belly while whispering good morning to Riley Amelia and grinning when she kicked his hand in reply. She was already such a daddy's girl.

But then he'd closed his eyes to rest them. Just for a minute or two. He'd felt the excitement radiate off Livvie as she quietly laid there, and he knew it was because of what was on the agenda for today. He figured if she had so much pent up excitement, it should be put to good use in a way that was mutually beneficial.

Olivia held the sheet between her fingers, still lifted up for her viewing pleasure. He was getting harder by the minute, and she knew he was thinking exactly what she was thinking. Flicking her eyes up to his playful blue ones, she sent him a lustful look. "I think we can help each other."

Fitz chuckled at his greedy little woman and pulled her into his arms. "What has you wide awake so early this morning? Besides sex I mean? The sun has barely come up."

"I'm really excited about getting another thing ticked off our list by getting the house painted today. It's gonna be so beautiful when it's all done, and we'll be that much closer to moving in too. Aren't you excited too?"

"MmmHmm." Fitz replied absentmindedly. He was busy sliding her panties down as she talked. Honestly, he could care less about the house right now. He had much more pressing things on his mind at the moment. He was fully erect, and it was getting painful.

"Are you even listening to me, Fitz?" Olivia asked.

"Of course I'm listening." He told her. Fitz knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was about to ask him what she had just said.

"Then what did I just say?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

He hated when he was right. He kissed her forehead and said, "you said you were excited about getting boxes at the house painted to tick off your mother."

Olivia shook her head and then started laughing at him. His boyish grin had her laughing even harder. Before long he was laughing with her. The happy sound echoed throughout the room until it finally died down. "Okay, so you were listening to me as you peeled my underwear down my legs."

"That deserves a prize, don't you think?" he asked once the thin material was completely untangled from her feet. They were still somewhere in the sheets at the foot of the bed, but they were off her and that was the biggest obstacle.

"You're doing pretty good at opening your own prize. What could I possibly give you?"

"Whatcha hiding inside of that shirt?" He asked with an innocent smile.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" she suggested and poked her chest out towards him.

He didn't have to be told twice. Fitz gently pushed her onto her back as his anxious fingers lifted the thin cotton material of her t-shirt until the two things Olivia had been hiding in it were both exposed. His eyes got bigger, just like her breasts had. Dipping his head, he lazily dragged his fattened tongue across her soft nipple before flicking his tongue across it until it stiffened at the attention.

His hand snaked over her thigh and pulled her leg open. The moment his warm mouth captured her hardened nipple was the same moment his thick fingers slid into her wet heat. Both his hand and his mouth started out slow, but writhing, panting, needy Olivia had him quickening both movements. She was so damned warm and ready.

"Mmmm...more." she begged as she opened her legs wider.

Fitz slid two fingers into her and still she wasn't satisfied. He knew what she wanted, but he was going to give her something else first. He reluctantly released her nipple and his lips blazed a warm trail down over her rounded belly to the juncture of her thighs. He watched her open her legs wider before lifting her hips and grinding them towards his face.

"Livvie? Your greedy side is showing." Fitz told her before dropping his face into her center. Her body tensed up like a tightly wound spring at the feel of his tongue on her bundle of nerves. His fingers continued sliding in and out of her as his tongue chased her towards a cliff with a long blissful drop into euphoria.

She whimpered as her hips kept up with his quick moving fingers and tongue. She tried holding onto the delicious moment for as long as she possibly could, but it was in vain. He was too good at what he was doing. All she could do was grip his thoroughly messed up curls to keep him in place as she fell apart. "Fitz...babe...please...yesssssssss!"

Once again, her body tightened as her breath came out in short bursts. Her eyes were closed tightly as if that was the only way she could contain the perfectly thrilling moment. She felt her fingers ease their grip on his head as her chest dragged air into her lungs. And then Olivia felt his lips travel up over her belly. She cracked open her eyes to watch him plant a kiss on each nipple before his face disappeared into her neck.

"Have I told you lately how much I adore your greedy side, Livvie?" he whispered into her ear. When she craned her neck to give him better access, he chuckled lightly. "Can I help you with something else?"

"I'm in the stage of my pregnancy where I want sex all the time."

Fitz grinned and rubbed his nose against hers. "Is that supposed to be a new thing?"

"It would be if I wasn't with a man as sexy as you."

"Mmmm, compliments will get you everywhere." he murmured before covering her body with his. Fitz dipped his head and captured her lips in a hungry kiss. Her eager mouth opened, and his tongue slid inside to dance with hers the same moment he pushed himself all the way inside of her.

Olivia tore her lips away from his to suck in air. Once again, he had caught her by surprise. She took a moment to let her body adjust to being stretched by him.

"I take it this is what you wanted?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"It was more of a need." she admitted. "You have a way of making me want you all the time."

"The feeling is definitely mutual, babe." Fitz put his weight on his forearms and began to move his hips. "I have never given a pregnant woman a second glance, but you are sexy as hell to me. I spend most of my time trying to control myself around you."

Olivia looked up at him. She ran a finger along his jawline. "You need to stop controlling yourself. I spend most of my time thinking up ways to get you naked."

"Does that mean we can have naked days at the new house? One day a week is naked day and we don't put clothes on at all. Like Naked Tuesdays?"

She ground her hips into his. "Naked Tuesdays can definitely be a thing. But I won't be held responsible for the things I do to you."

"I'm definitely marrying the woman of my dreams." Fitz replied before kissing her hungrily.

Olivia moaned into his mouth before grabbing his ass with both hands and grinding her hips into his as he picked up the pace. Before long Olivia's bedroom was filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing mixed with begging and whispers of desire.

"Come onnnn, Fitz! Everyone is going to be there before us." Olivia whined over an hour later.

"You are not going to point the late finger at me, Livvie. We wouldn't be running late if you hadn't demanded round two in the shower. If anyone asks why we are late, I'm telling them pregnancy hormones are the best thing ever!" he threatened with a grin.

"Really? You're gonna say that in front of my father?" She challenged as she propped a hand on her hip.

He grinned at her and pulled her into his arms. "Probably not the best way to stay in his good graces, huh?"

Olivia crinkled up her nose. "Probably not."

"I'll just tell him that you jumped me. That takes the blame off me. Yea, that works!" he said triumphantly. Before Olivia got the chance to make her own smartass comment, he dipped his head and kissed her, letting his tongue slide into her oh so willing mouth.

Her arms came around his neck and she pulled herself impossibly close to him. One hand slid down his back and grabbed his ass, and she groaned at the feel of his muscular backside. She was on the verge of asking him for round three when he broke the kiss. "Hey, Gropey Groperton. I know that look on your face. We don't have time for more sex. Keep your hands to yourself."

Olivia huffed loudly. "Fine, but you are giving me some tonight, Mister!"

Fitz chuckled at her and patted her ass. "You just got two rounds within an hour. How much sex do you need? Your greedy side is showing."

"Are you complaining about getting too much sex? Is that what's going on here?"

Realizing how that sounded and wondering if he could lose his guy card for a thing like that, he wisely said, "no" before clamping his lips together.

"I didn't think so. Let's go."

They had to go to the grocery store to buy chips and drinks to go with the subs that were being delivered later on for lunch. The lunch that Fitz insisted on buying as a way to thank everyone for coming over to help them with the painting. Olivia remembered her promise to Max about bringing ice cream and grabbed a few cartons along with a box of cones while they were in the store. She decided if it didn't all get eaten today, she would have it to eat after they moved in. Fitz knew what she was up to, but he didn't say anything. He'd eat some of it with her later too. Maybe they could get creative with round three after everyone had gone home?

Stephen and Abby were the only two at the house when they pulled into the driveway. "Where the hell have you two been?" Stephen asked. Like he didn't already know.

"Grocery store." Fitz replied. "Get off my porch and help me carry this shit inside."

"So, you're saying that earlier when we went back into the house because I forgot my keys, that wasn't the two of you moaning in Liv's room" Abby asked with a smirk.

"You forgot your what?" Olivia asked horrified and covered her face with her hands. "ohmygod! Did you really come back in the house and hear us?"

"Nah" Abby replied with a huge grin. "But now I definitely know why you're late."

Stephen and Fitz chuckled, but wisely kept quiet as they carried the crunchy plastic bags into the house and put the food into the refrigerator and freezer.

Ten minutes later, Max showed up. He opened the front door and yelled out, "knock, knock" before stepping inside.

"Back here, dad!" Fitz called out. He and Olivia had been giving Abby and Stephen the grand tour and making sure the right cans of colored paint were in the right rooms.

"This is gorgeous! So open and roomy. Nice choice, son." Max exclaimed, clapping his son on the back.

"We like it." Fitz told him.

Olivia gave her soon to be father in law a hug and asked, "how's the baby whisperer been lately?"

Max grinned at her. "Itchy for Miss Riley Amelia to get here."

"I swear this baby already knows her pawpa's voice. She..."

Fitz gave a confused look and interrupted Olivia. "I'm sorry. Who?"

"Pawpa. It's what your dad wants Riley to call him." Olivia told Fitz.

Fitz's expression turned into a surprised one. "Really? And when did this come about? This is the first I've heard of it."

"When we went to breakfast at Waffle World to discuss Riley's middle name." Max told his son with a smile.

Olivia's face crinkled and her hand flew to her belly. "She kicks every time I'm around him." Olivia reported. She saw the look of question in his eyes, and knew he wasn't comfortable enough to ask yet. "You wanna feel?"

"Really?" he asked excitedly and held out a hand towards her.

"Of course." She grabbed his hand and put it where hers had been on her growing belly. She chuckled when Riley accommodated her grandfather. "See?"

"She kicks for me too." Fitz announced.

"She's gonna have both of you trained in no time at all."

"I can hardly wait." Max replied with a grin.

A deep horn blared outside. Fitz and Olivia exchanged confused glances.

"She might have a slight head start on the training thing already." Max admitted.

"What are you talking about and who is here?" Fitz asked as he headed towards the front door.

"Remember when you invited me to help paint the day we met?" Max asked Olivia. She nodded. "And I said I'd help only if I can bring a gift?"

Olivia put a hand on his arm. "Yea, but you've bought enough clothes and diapers for ten newborn girls. You don't have to bring anything else."

"It's not just for her. I mean, it's mainly for her, but it's for you too." He said, trying to explain. "Come on. You'll see." Olivia followed Max out the door to see a furniture company truck parked in the driveway. He continued to the truck as the two men inside climbed out.

"Dad? What the hell is this all about?" Fitz asked as he reached for Olivia's hand.

"I bought a gift for my daughter in law and my granddaughter. Your job is to tell these gentlemen where to put it in the house." Max signed an invoice and watched the man who had been the passenger unload the gift.

"Oooooh, it's a rocking chair!" Olivia squealed as soon as it was carried from the back of the truck.

"Where would you like for me to put this ma'am?" He asked her.

Olivia dashed up the few steps and saw Stephen and Abby standing there watching the show. The two women high fived as Olivia breezed past them and led the delivery man into the house. Moments later, he walked out of the house alone, shook Max's hand, and he and the driver left in the truck.

"Where's Liv?" Fitz asked.

"I bet she's rocking the peanut in the nursery." Abby told him. "She's been wanting a rocking chair for a while now. That was a really nice thing to give her."

Max grinned at his son. "Let's go see if that's where she is."

"I wonder why she didn't tell me she wanted a rocking chair? I would have bought her one." Fitz grumbled.

"I bought one for your mom when she was expecting you. When we brought you home from the hospital, she would spend hours just looking at you as she rocked you. I think Olivia will be the same way." Max told his son.

"Unless I beat her to it." Fitz admitted.

There she was. Sitting in the brand new rocking chair, rocking away while humming something and rubbing little circles on her belly. She looked up when she heard them at the door. "I love this chair. In fact, I might sit here for the rest of the day and let all of you do all of the work."

Max and Fitz smiled at her. She was completely at peace right now.

Abby was the one to keep it real. "You're definitely not doing that. Before Fitz bought this house and proposed, we were just painting one wall. Now we're painting the inside of an entire house. You have to get up and do your part. Besides, you know it'll kill you to not boss somebody around."

"Helloooooo?" a voice called out from the living room.

"That must be your parents. I can't wait to meet them." Max told Olivia.

The five of them made their way out to the living room to welcome Olivia's parents. Introductions were made and happy hugs and handshakes were exchanged. Everyone partnered up and was assigned a room to paint. Max joined Olivia's parents to paint the living room, as well as to get to know them better. Stephen and Abby took the kitchen, mostly because it had less wall space to paint. Their goal was to tackle the smaller rooms and feel like they accomplished more together.

Olivia and Fitz chose to paint Riley's room first. Fitz had voiced his desire to paint her room before they did any others. He wanted them to paint it together too. It was important to him, and that made it important to Liv. They had chosen ballet slipper pink for three walls of her nursery. The fourth wall would be painted gray.

The two of them knocked out the gray wall together first, with Liv doing the bottom half and Fitz doing the top. Once the gray paint had been closed, Fitz opened the can of pink paint and stirred it. He smiled as he thought about his daughter waking up to the pretty color on her walls every morning. Or being soothed to sleep in this room by either him or Olivia as they rocked her. It made him want to take his time and do a good job for her.

"Fitz? Are you okay?" Olivia asked.

"Yea. I'm just thinking about how she'll be here soon. I'm sure it doesn't seem like that to you since you are the one carrying her, but it feels like she will be here before we know it. I just want everything to be perfect for her when she does arrive. So she has what she needs. You know?"

He was too precious for words. She gave him a smile before getting on her tip toes and putting her arms around his neck. "Listen to me for a minute. Riley has more than I ever could have imagined for her when I left home."

"I don't mean stuff, Livvie."

"Shhh. I'm not talking about stuff either. But that counts too. She has her own bedroom in a big house that will keep her safe and warm. She has a beautiful crib to sleep in and more clothes than she'll need in ten lifetimes. She has a family who loves her more than anything in the world and want nothing more than to see her happy and healthy. And she has a daddy. That's the one thing I never thought she'd have." Olivia felt his arms tighten on her waist.

"But Riley doesn't just have a daddy. She has the very best daddy. Someone who cares about her, and loves her, and goes out of his way to make sure she will have everything she'll ever need. I couldn't ask for more than that. Everything is already as perfect as it can be for her."

All he could do was hold onto her. His throat felt tight and he knew words wouldn't come out yet even if he tried. He was so amazed at how perfectly Olivia loved him. She always had the right words to encourage him and make him feel seen. When he finally felt able to talk, he said, "I love you, Livvie. So much. We are going to have an amazing life together."


	20. New Faces

**New Faces**

"I still have to find a florist for the wedding." Olivia told Abby while they were putting their purses into their lockers at work.

"Just Google florists in our town. It's not that difficult, Liv."

"I know how to find a florist. Smartass. I'm just saying I haven't done it yet. I haven't had time with all of the other stuff I've been working on for the wedding, looking for stuff for the house, and being here all the time. I'm not worried though. Not really. Something will pop."

"Well, if you don't hurry up and get your ducks in a row, the popping will be your belly."

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, but are you guys looking for someone to do flowers?" A quiet girl with long wavy brown hair asked.

Abby and Olivia looked to their left and saw a young woman close to their age putting her own stuff into a locker. Olivia smiled and said, "yea. I'm getting married in less than two months and I'm pretty desperate. Why? Do you know someone who does flowers?"

"Well, yea. I do." The girl nervously pushed a long strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear. "I mean, I dabble in flower arranging when I'm not at work. Congratulations, by the way. On getting married."

"Thank you." Olivia replied with a smile. She and Abby looked at each other with excited expressions. "Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around before."

"I started about a week ago. So far so good."

Abby could care less about her work history and was a little more doubtful about the flowers too. "What exactly does dabbling mean? Do you throw some shit into a vase and call it dabbling? Or do you actually know what you're doing?" It was Liv's wedding after all, and not some high school prom. "Let's see some of your work."

"What she means is, do you have any pictures of things you've done recently?" Olivia asked before Abby could get ruder.

"Yea. Sure." She reached for her phone and began scrolling through the albums on it. Opening it up, she timidly handed the phone to the two women. "My name's Quinn by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Quinn. I'm Olivia and the bitchy redhead is Abby."

Quinn chuckled and watched them scroll through her photos.

"Look at this one, Abs. It's really beautiful! It's pretty close to what I had in mind for the wedding too."

"I'm not super expensive either." Quinn said trying to hide the desperation in her voice. This might be the difference she needed to finish making her half of the rent in the rat hole she lived in with her boyfriend of six months.

"These are really great pictures." Olivia told Quinn and handed her back her phone. "Are you interested in doing the flowers for my wedding?"

"Well, there's a few things I need to know first." Quinn said.

"Like what?" Abby demanded impatiently.

The redhead made her nervous. Her tone of voice wasn't helping either. As eager and willing as she was to do the flowers, the details had to be hammered out. "Ummm, like how big is your wedding party? Do you want just bouquets and boutonnieres, or do you want flowers in the church? At the doors? The alter? On the pews"

Olivia could read Quinn's nervousness easily enough. She shot Abby a warning glance before smiling at Quinn and answering her questions. "My fiancé and I are getting married out on the beach. It's going to be a very small intimate wedding. No more than thirty people. Forty tops. So that takes out the doors, alters, and pews. I think just the bouquets for me and Abby, as well as a boutonniere for Fitz; that's my fiancé, and his best man. How does that sound?"

"So, you don't want a corsage or anything for your mom or his? Or boutonnieres for either dad? Or any grandparents?" Quinn asked.

Abby jumped back into the conversation. Liv would just have to get over it. She couldn't help it she was assertive. Most people liked that about her. "We are definitely going to need a corsage for Mama Pope. That's Liv's mother. She would freak out if she didn't have her own flowers. You know I'm right, Liv."

"Ohmygod. Good call, Abs."

The redhead nodded and pointed to Quinn. "You might want to write that down."

Quinn tapped her temple. "Steel trap. I got it."

Abby rolled her eyes while Liv plowed ahead with the requests. "Yea, so let's add boutonnieres for both dads too as well as a corsage for my mother. No grandparents. Fitz's mother passed away several years ago, so we won't need a corsage for her, but I'd like to do something special to honor her somehow. You know what I mean?"

"Yea I do. At the wedding, you can set out a chair for her next to his dad and I can make a bouquet with white flowers. We can put a folded card or a small wooden sign on the seat with the flowers that would acknowledge her. I mean, if you want?"

"That would be amazing! Fitz would love that. Wouldn't he, Abby?" Olivia asked excitedly.

"That's a really great idea. I think everyone would love it. Okay, I'm done testing you. As long as the price is right and you get everything done on time, you'll do." Abby gave a genuine smile and walked away. "Don't be late for work, Liv."

Quinn looked at Olivia and asked, "is she always that intimidating?"

"Nah. Don't tell her I told you, but she's actually a really big softie. She just acts like she's tough."

"She scares the shit out of me." Quinn mumbled, and slammed her locker closed.

"Don't let her know you're scared. She'll never let up." Olivia warned with a grin. "See you out there."

Four hours later the three women caught each other in the employee area at different points in their breaks. They shared a quick chat and made plans to get together later that night at the girls' house. After their shifts ended, Abby and Liv went home, and Quinn left for the rat hole she lived in. She was looking forward to getting out for a little while tonight and finally have some girl time with people her own age.

Quinn knocked on the door of the cute little beach house at the address Olivia had given her an hour later. The door opened up and as luck would have it, the redhead answered. "Heyyyy!" she exclaimed with a huge smile. "Come on in!"

The brunette stepped inside and looked around. It was really cute inside too. "I love you guys' place" she gushed. "It's just so freakin' cute. And on the water too. I'm so jealous."

"Thanks, we like it." Abby replied. "Me and Liv and the peanut were going to live here for a while, but then Fitz went and made her fall in love with him."

"The peanut?" Quinn asked in a confused tone.

"The baby. Liv's knocked up." Abby explained with a grin.

"I almost asked her about it earlier, but my brain kept telling me not to just in case she wasn't. That wouldn't be a good way to start a business deal or friendship." Quinn replied. "So, now the three of you are going to live together. Well, four soon I mean."

Abby crinkled up her face. "No way! I don't want to hear newlyweds going at it like wild rabbits every night."

Quinn snorted.

"Fitz bought a house for him and Liv not too far from here. They'll be moving out before too long. She's still working on picking out house stuff, so it'll be about a week or so."

"Wow. What a guy. To buy you a freakin' house. That's great." Quinn told her as Abby led them to the living room and they sat down on the sofa.

"He is very good to Liv. She's very good to him too. Once you see them together, you'll understand what I mean. I've never really believed in soulmates, but those two really are destined to be together." Abby clapped her hands together once with a big grin and asked, "do you drink, Quinn?"

"I like a good drink every so often. Whaddya got?"

"Tonight, it's margaritas, but we'll have to wait until Fitz gets here with the stuff. Are you in?"

"So in! Ooooh, I haven't had any dinner yet, so I'm going to have to really pace myself." The truth was there hadn't been anything in her apartment to eat except peanut butter sandwiches. Quinn was sick to death of peanut butter. Her boyfriend had his half of the rent but that was all until he found a job, and Quinn didn't have any to spare until she got her first check next week to cover her half of the rent. She really needed to think about getting her own place.

"Fitz is bringing pizza." Olivia informed them as she joined them in the living room. "He should be here in about fifteen minutes."

Quinn grabbed her purse and peeked inside, even though she knew there wasn't any money in it. "Shoot. It looks like I left my wallet at home. I'll just gonna grab something to eat after I leave here."

"Abby, tell her there will be plenty of pizza."

"It's true" Abby simply said.

"I'm not that hungry anyways." Quinn tried.

"It's pizza. You don't have to be hungry to eat pizza. You just eat it. Besides, Fitz won't take any money so please don't worry about it. Tell her Abby."

"I wouldn't know. I've never tried to pay." Abby said with a shrug. "Guys loaded though so just plan on eating here with us."

Pizza sounded heavenly. Still, she didn't want to take advantage. "We'll see if there's enough."

Needing to change the subject before her stomach growled, Quinn looked at Olivia and asked, "How long have you and Fitz been dating?"

"Just a few months" Olivia answered.

"So, it was a whirlwind romance?"

Olivia smiled wistfully and nodded. "It definitely was, but don't let his smooth ways charm you. The man is trouble with a capital T sometimes."

Quinn chuckled. "I'm assuming you have a story or two?"

"The first time I ever laid eyes on him, he almost got me fired."

"What? No way!" Quinn replied, still laughing.

"It's true! Abby, tell her I'm not even remotely fibbing about the amount of trouble Fitz almost got me in on my first day at the hotel." Olivia looked over at Abby when the redhead didn't answer.

Abby was facing Olivia but was looking out the window behind her. She suddenly snapped out of it when she heard her name. Smiling, she sweetly asked, "can you guys give me a hand in the kitchen please? I think the cookies might be burning."

"What cookies?" Olivia demanded.

"The ones I'm making for dessert." Abby said through gritted teeth.

"Is she okay?" Quinn asked Olivia. She got a shrug for an answer.

"Come on. I'll show you." Abby said, urging them.

Once the three of them were in the kitchen Abby looked at Quinn and asked, "when you came in did you lock the front door behind you?"

Olivia opened the oven door and looked inside. "I thought you said there were cookies in the oven?"

"Shhh, Liv!" Abby warned.

"No, because it's not my house. Why do you ask?" Quinn wanted to know.

"You had me hyped up for cookies, Abs." Olivia whined.

"Shut up about the damned cookies, Liv!" Abby hissed. "There is a man outside the house."

"It's probably just Fitz with the pizza" Olivia said, and began to move toward the door. Abby grabbed her wrist in a firm grip, causing Olivia to exclaim, "Hey! What the hell?"

"It wasn't Fitz. Don't you think I know what he looks like? Give me some credit, Liv. Whoever is out there was just watching us when we were in the living room. I'm going to go lock the door." Abby started tiptoeing towards the door.

Quinn grabbed her small purse that she had left on the counter and pulled out one item from inside of it before she headed for the door.

"Hey! What the hell is that, Quinn?" Abby exclaimed with huge surprised eyes.

"It's a gun. Duh. I'm going outside to look around and see if I can find whose out there. Lock the door behind me." She instructed them.

"So many questions right now." Abby told her with wide eyes. "Why do you have a gun? And do you know how to use it?"

"Of course I know how to use it. It's registered and I have a license. I don't work at the hotel in the same capacity that the two of you do. I'm security."

"We have security at the hotel?" Olivia asked Abby in a surprised voice.

"I dunno. I was about to ask you!" the redhead exclaimed.

Quinn opened the door and said, "don't let anyone in here unless it's me. Call nine one one and try to stay calm. I'll be right back."

She opened the door and closed it behind her. Abby pounced on the lock and her nervous gaze met Olivia's. "Quinn has a gun, Liv."

As Olivia began to process that thought, another one came rushing through her head. "The windows! Go check your bedroom windows and make sure they are locked, or he'll be able to get inside!"

The two girls quickly parted ways and ran to their bedrooms. They ran back in the kitchen as fast as their bare feet pounded on the linoleum floor. They took a moment to hug each other before Olivia said, "she told us to call nine one one!"

Abby made the call while Olivia paced, chewed on a fingernail with her eyes on the front door, and listened to Abby's side of the call. "Hello? Yea. There's a guy outside our house. He was just looking in the window at us."

The address was rattled off by Abby who continued to answer questions from the nine one one operator. "A friend of ours is outside scouring the perimeter for him now. Don't worry about her. She's got a gun. Her name? Her name is Quinn. Last name? Uhhh, Liv, what's her last name?"

Olivia thought about it for a minute and realized she didn't have an answer for that question. "I don't know what her last name is! Did we even get her last name?"

"Uh huh, uh huh, yea. No, I don't see..."

Abby and Olivia grabbed onto each other and screamed loudly when the doorknob on the front door rattled.

"It's me. Quinn." She told them patiently from the other side of the door.

"How do we know you aren't being held at gunpoint out there?" Abby asked in a terrified tone.

Olivia rolled her eyes and went to the door. It took her a minute, but she took a deep breath and flipped the outside light on. Quinn was standing there all alone, waiting patiently. "It's just me. I promise you guys."

The door was opened, and Quinn came inside. The door was quickly locked behind her. "Whoever you saw must have taken off when we moved into the kitchen. He's long gone now."

"Hang on." Abby spoke into her phone before passing it to Quinn and pulling Olivia behind her. "It's the nine one one operator. She has a couple questions for you. Like your last name."

"Hello?"

As Quinn spoke to the operator and answered every question with great detail, headlights shone through the kitchen briefly before they turned off. Olivia and Abby screamed.

"Calm down you guys. It's probably just Fitz. But...don't open the door until you see who it is first." Quinn instructed, before talking on the phone once again. "I'm sorry. Yes, I'm here."

It was Fitz. It took her a little longer than normal because her hands were shaking, but Olivia finally got the door unlocked and flung it open the moment she saw his face. He saw the look of panic on her face and rushed inside. Putting the pizza boxes and grocery store bag down on the counter, he pulled her into his arms where she broke down. "Liv? You're shaking. What's the matter? What happened? Why didn't you call me? Is it the baby? What's going on?"

Turning his attention to the other two women standing there he looked at Abby and started firing questions at her rapidly. "What in the hell happened? Who is that? And why does she have a gun in her hand?"

"Oh, shit. Sorry." Quinn tucked the gun safely back inside her purse. "I'm Quinn."

"She works at the hotel with us. She's going to do the flowers for your wedding. Isn't that great?" Abby exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood.

Fitz sent the redhead an impatient look as he held Olivia.

"Right. So, we met Quinn at work today. We were talking about the flowers that you don't care anything about right this minute. We invited her over to get to know her better. We figured we'd feed and water her; you brought the margarita mix, right?"

"Abby!" Fitz said impatiently.

"Right. So, anyways, we were sitting in the living room talking when I saw a face outside. Like, someone was out there watching us. It was reallllly weird. You would have been proud of me though. I calmly brought them into the kitchen and explained the situation. That was when Quinn grabbed her gat and ran outside to see if she could find him. She's a friggin badass in my book. Her level of coolness has definitely risen."

"Thanks, Abby." Quinn said nodding.

"There was a guy outside the house? Just standing there looking in the window? What the fuck is wrong with people?" Fitz was wound up and mad and terrified. He held onto Olivia tightly. He didn't know if he was trying to calm her down or himself. He was so glad she was alright. "Are you okay Liv? Maybe we should go to the emergency room and get you checked out. To be safe. Your heart is hammering out of your chest."

"Can't do that just yet. The police are sending a car over. They want to take a look around and get our statements. Plus, they want to know why I have a gun. It's gonna be a thing." Quinn informed them casually.

"I don't need to go to the hospital. I'm alright. Just a little shaken up is all. I think I would have been more upset if I had seen him out there like Abby did. Just hold me." she told him.

"Are you sure?" She nodded and he kissed her temple. "Just let me know if you change your mind."

Quinn extended a hand towards the man holding Olivia and said, "I'm Quinn Perkins. I'm not some redneck with a gun. I work security at the hotel. I am a licensed gun owner."

"Ohhh, you're the one who was hired. Great to finally meet you." Fitz said, shaking her hand.

Quinn sent him a strange expression. "You work at the hotel?"

"Sort of. My uncle owns it and I have a hand in the expansion, but officially I work at the corporate office in LA. I had heard we were getting some new security. I'm glad you were here. It sounds like you were at the right place at the right time. Keeping my girls safe is important to me." Fitz said, touching Olivia's belly. "Do you want to sit down, Liv?"

As Fitz led Olivia into the living room to sit on the couch, Quinn shot Abby a look and whispered, "ohmygod they are the cutest together! Are they always like this?"

"Yup." Abby shrugged. "Told ya. Soulmates."

"Aren't you freaking out? You're the one who saw him standing out there, yet you're calm as can be." Quinn asked.

The redhead showed her shaking hands before squeezing them into tight white balls. "Of course I am. But the more we talk about other things, the less I'll think about it. Pick a random topic and eat some pizza before the cavalry gets here and starts in with their fifty million questions."

Quinn gave her a look before lifting the white cardboard lid and grabbing a slice. After chewing a bite of the tastiest pizza she had ever had in her life, Quinn asked Abby, "Do you know of anyone looking for a roommate?"

"Are you serious?" Abby exclaimed as she chewed a greasy pepperoni laden triangle. She couldn't chew the delicious food in her mouth fast enough. "I'm looking for a roommate to take Liv's place once she moves out. And it's perfect. I already know a lot about you. That you're crazy enough to make life fun and not weird. And...bonus points...you can keep me safe. Buuuut, my mother's voice in my head is being super condescending right now. You don't know her! You just met her today and you're gonna ask her to move in with you? You know how it is."

"I get that. And it's cool. Moms have that sixth sense. It's what makes them so good at being a mom." Quinn eyed the redhead. She sure was being nice. Quinn wasn't one to tiptoe around things, and if she lived here, she wasn't going to tiptoe around Abby. She had reservations of her own. And she wanted answers. "Why did you give me so much shit when we were talking about the flowers at work earlier this afternoon?"

Abby didn't hesitate. "Because we were talking about Liv's wedding. You'll come to learn that Liv is more than a friend. She's family. And I am fiercely protective of my family. If you don't like it, that's too damn bad, Quinn because that's not going to change. I could have been a little less bitchy, I suppose, and I'm big enough to apologize for that."

"Wow. That was the lamest apology I've ever gotten." Quinn stated with a bland look.

"I think you should spend some more time around here so I can get to know you better. See if you live up to the hype."

"The hype you built up yourself when you called me a badass for having a gun?" Quinn asked with a snort of laughter.

"Don't ruin my moment of sweetness. It only comes around every blue moon."

"You're really selling this roommate situation." Quinn told her with a grin. She had a feeling this was going to work out really well for both of them.

"I realize I'm only offering a couch, but are you up to spending the night tonight? I need to know what your morning self is like." Abby asked. The badass standing in front of her was sarcastic, smart, bold, authoritative, and had a soft side underneath it all. She was the perfect roommate for Abby.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours until Quinn finally said, "yea, I think I can manage that. As long as we have coffee. I can't live in a house without coffee!"


	21. Asshole Alert

**Asshole Alert**

Everyone had been on edge since the peeping tom situation outside of Abby and Liv's place a few days ago. Fitz and Stephen were determined to keep the girls safe and had called a meeting to discuss exactly how to do so. The four of them were sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee in their pajamas when a knock on the door sounded before Quinn let herself in.

All eyes were on her as she made her way inside the little kitchen with a big smile on her face. She plopped a box of donuts down in the middle of the table before giving everyone a cheery "morning". Quinn had jumped at the chance to be Abby's roommate. She was desperate to get out of the rat hole living with a guy who wasn't actively looking for a job or helping keep said rat hole clean while she was at work. She'd told him bye, grabbed her bag of stuff, and heading to the beach house.

Olivia had offered her bedroom to Quinn, saying it would be hers soon anyway, but she had declined. She was happy to be in a clean house with great people. Besides, Quinn couldn't put Olivia out of her bed knowing she was pregnant. She took the sofa. It was just for a week because Liv and Fitz were moving out the following weekend. Quinn planned on buying herself a bed and dresser, but Olivia insisted that the furniture in her bedroom stay there for Quinn to have. She and Fits had everything they needed at the new house anyways.

Rent wasn't due for a whole month, thanks to Liv paying off her half of the bills at the beginning of the month. It gave Quinn some much needed breathing room. Until then, she'd be a thoughtful roommate who occasionally bought breakfast.

When she reached the coffee pot on the counter, she poured herself a cup and took a seat near everyone else. "What are we talking about?"

Stephen gave her a smile, and said, "So this is the gun slinging Quinn I've heard so much about."

"You must be Stephen." Quinn told him and snagged a donut from the box.

She looked over at Abby with a grin as she chewed a piece of chocolate frosted donut, and said, "you were right. He is cute."

"Right?" Abby agreed with a devious smile.

"I'm sorry if it appears that we started without you, Quinn." Fitz began. "We honestly just sat down."

"Nah, it's fine. I went to get breakfast for everybody since the two of you were here. At least you saved me some coffee. Thanks for that, by the way." Quinn told him.

"We're all still getting used to the idea of you living here now. I've got to admit, it's calmed a lot of my fears, knowing you're here to help keep everyone safe." Fitz told her.

"It's been quiet around here since the creeper showed up outside. I've been looking every day for footprints or signs that any of the windows have been tampered with, but I haven't seen anything. It was probably just some random guy who thought he'd get a kick out of scaring the bejesus out of three women. He probably learned his lesson when the cops showed up..."

"Or when you ran outside to confront him with your gun." Abby chimed in.

Quinn snorted. "Either way, I don't think he'll be coming back."

The whole thing made Olivia feel violated. To know that a stranger had been outside the house watching them. She hugged herself tighter. "You're probably right, Quinn. But it makes me feel very nervous. I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable knowing there's a gun in the house either. It helps a little bit knowing that you know how to use it."

"I respect your feelings about guns. It would help me to understand it better if you told me why this random guy looking into the window freaks you out so much. Has this happened to you before?" Quinn wanted to know what was going through Olivia's mind. She thought she'd be better able to put her at ease if she knew where Olivia's fear came from.

Olivia looked at Fitz, trying to figure out if she should share her history with Quinn. "It's up to you, Liv. You know I'll support you whatever you decide." He told her as he held her hand.

"Me too." Abby told her from across the table.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing something important?" Quinn asked as she looked around the table. everyone was quiet.

Olivia finally took a deep breath and said, "Because you are. The reason this has me on edge like this is because I moved here to escape someone."

"Wait. What?" Quinn asked with big concerned eyes. "Really?"

"Yea. Before I moved here, I lived about an hour away. I was dating a man who was a lot older than me. He's the one who got me pregnant."

Quinn gave a puzzled expression before shifting her eyes to Fitz. "Oh. I assumed the baby was Fitz's."

"I think everyone else does too. No one has asked, and we aren't going to offer the information."

"Which is fine with me." Fitz added. "I'm going to adopt her and make her legally mine after she's born."

"Awww, that's nice." Quinn said. When she saw Olivia's face still holding a slightly fearful expression, she remembered her words when she started her story. "You ran from the baby's father I take it? Can I ask why? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'll completely understand."

"I want you to know. When I found out I was pregnant I went to tell him. He expected me to have an abortion. He didn't want to discuss the thought of keeping the baby at all. He peeled several one hundred dollar bills from his wallet and told me he'd see me the following weekend, after I had recovered." Olivia shrugged. "I took the money and left my life there. I wanted to keep this baby. It's a part of me."

"Who the hell did he think he was telling you what to do?" Quinn spat out in an angry tone.

"Mama Pope is gonna love you." Abby told Quinn with a smile.

"Anyways!" Olivia said impatiently. "When I first moved here, I kept looking over my shoulder. I just knew he would find me here. He has money and he hates to lose."

"So, you think the guy outside was him?" Quinn asked.

It sounded ridiculous to Olivia's ears to hear the theory spoken out loud.

"You know the chances of that are like a million to one, right? If this guy...What is his name?"

"Collin Williams."

"He sounds like an asshole. Sorry, but he does. Collin would have to find out where you moved to. Did you tell any of his friends or family members?"

"Hell no!"

"Your parents wouldn't tell him, right?"

"No way."

"Did you know anyone who lived here before you moved, or did you pick this town at random?"

"Completely random. I knew I wanted to live in a beach town. This is where I ended up."

"Okay then. Collin would have to be a rocket scientist to figure out where you randomly moved to out of the blue. It couldn't be him, Liv." Quinn assured her.

"He's a lawyer. A good one. And he has lots of money and a mean streak. And after I moved here, I kept the phone on that he had given to me for like a week. He could have tracked me down that way." Olivia was trying to share as much information as she could that might point the finger to Collin as their peeping tom.

"Those are good points. But if that was the case, why did he wait so long to come look for you?" Quinn asked as she pursed her lips doubtfully.

"She is good, Liv." Abby stated. She was glad someone was pointing out the obvious.

Olivia slapped her hand on top of the table. "Look, I know I sound insane right now. I'm probably over worrying about this. And if it was just me it wouldn't be a big deal. But there is another person involved."

She put her hand protectively on her belly. "And he is NOT getting anywhere near Riley. He didn't want her then and he's not getting her now. I'll move away from here before I let him get anywhere near my daughter."

"Our daughter." Fitz corrected, and put his hand on top of Olivia's. "Don't get yourself worked up, babe. You know it's not good for you or the baby."

"I'm with Fitz. Don't get yourself worked up. I can understand why you are worried about the safety of you and your baby, but I'm going to do everything I can to keep you and her and Abby safe. If it turns out that it is your ex, and he's harassing you, there are laws against that." Quinn told her. "Besides, the two of you are moving into your new house in like, a week. You won't have to worry about whoever the hell it is that was standing outside the other night anymore."

Olivia turned to Fitz. Her eyes were wide, and she looked like she was going to throw up. He put his arm around her and asked, "Liv? What's the matter?"

"What if he knows about the new house? We've been over there every day since we saw him standing outside the window. He could have followed us over there. I can't live there if he's going to show up there too. There's no Quinn and no gun."

Fitz stood in front of her and put a finger under her chin to direct her gaze up to his. In a soothing tone he said, "hey. I need you to breathe please. You are all wound up. It's not good for you or our daughter. Your blood pressure is probably through the roof and all of this worrying isn't going to change anything about this situation. We are all here to talk about some ways to keep everyone safe."

Olivia let his words sink in for a few minutes, and then she wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him. "He can't get her, Fitz. He just can't. I won't let him."

"I won't let him either. None of us will. Trust me, if the window creeper turns out to be your ex, he's not getting anywhere near either one of you." Fitz looked up at the other three people in the kitchen and said, "I think the first precaution should be that none of us are ever here alone."

Everyone agreed to that.

"I think Quinn should keep checking the outside of the house for signs of footprints near windows, or for any of them to have been messed about with too." Stephen added.

"I can do that." she told them. "Why don't you show all of us a picture of him so we can all know what he looks like. It would help to know who we are looking for."

Olivia grabbed her phone and googled the firm Collin worked for. When she found his photo, she sent it to the phones of everyone in the kitchen. "Done."

"Good. I think we need to keep a tight lid on this for now. Just the five of us." Quinn said.

"Why?" Abby asked. "I mean, I agree, but why?"

"Say you tell someone at the hotel that we had a peeping tom situation, and say it is Collin doing it." Quinn looked at Olivia and added, "Sorry, Liv, but if he finds out you work at the hotel and goes there to start asking questions and word has gotten around of what you told somebody, he's going to know we're onto him. It could put that person in danger too."

"That makes a lot of sense." Olivia agreed. "For now we'll keep all of this between the five of us."

"If you know Collin's address, send it to my phone too please."

"Why do you want his address?" Olivia asked Quinn.

"Because three days from now I have a day off at the hotel, and I'm going to go pull a stake out at Collin's place and see what I can learn about the asshole on his turf." Quinn explained.

************  
Three days later, as promised, Quinn was parked in the driveway of a house on Collin's street. The beautiful empty house was up for sale but didn't have occupants just yet. Quinn had learned that the owners had already moved into their new house and were just waiting for the closing sale of their old one. It paid to do research ahead of time.

The front seat of her car was littered with strewn empty plastic wrappers of Quinn's favorite junk food. She ate when she was bored. It was hell on her hips, but no one had ever complained when they saw her naked, so she didn't think twice about it either. She was, however, regretting the large fountain drink she had bought at the gas station in the pre-dawn hour, and her kidneys were screaming at her to relieve them, but still she sat there. She had come too far to lose this guy over a need to pee.

Reaching for the pack of mini Oreos in the brown paper bag on the floorboard of the passenger seat, she debated eating them now or waiting a while longer. A noise to her right had her slightly lifting her head to look out the passenger window. She dropped the unopened package of tasty brown cookies and concentrated on what she was seeing.

From the awkward position she was in, Quinn saw Collin standing in the doorway of his house. But he wasn't alone. A tall blonde was all over him. Quinn made a low disgusted sound as she watched the open display of whatever the hell that was. He broke the kiss and patted her on the ass, sending her on her way. The woman with the shitty taste in men climbed into her car and took off. Quinn committed her license plate to memory and kept her eye on Collin. He scratched his balls and went back into the house.

"What the hell did Liv see in that asshole?" she asked herself. She grabbed her phone from the passenger seat and scrolled through her contacts until she found Olivia's name. She touched it and put the device to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

Olivia chuckled and said, "you suck at small talk, Quinn. What's up?"

"I just saw Collin. What an asshole!"

"You talked to him? Ohmygod! You said you weren't going to do that. You said..."

"Dude, calm down. I didn't talk to him. He was too busy with his tongue rammed down some skinny blonde bitch's throat."

"Oh. Well good. Maybe he's finally moved on?"

Quinn was about to tell Olivia that she probably didn't have anything to worry about when he walked out his front door and got into his car. "Shit!" Quinn exclaimed. She laid down in the passenger seat, face first, until she heard his car go by. "He's on the move. I'll call you back later."

She ended the call and threw her phone over into the passenger seat. Yanking on her seatbelt, she clicked it and then started her car before putting it in reverse and backing out of the driveway. "Where the hell are you going so early this morning, douche bag?"

In no time at all, Quinn sat up a little straighter in her seat and squinted at the car about two hundred feet in front of her. A car moved in between them, and Quinn had to pay a little more attention to where dipshit was going. He turned onto the interstate and she followed from a discreet distance. Quinn kept her eye on Collin's car, but stayed in the middle lane in case he suddenly veered off the interstate.

Collin drove on the interstate for forty five minutes before he got into the right lane and put on his blinker. Quinn followed him onto the off ramp with a weird feeling in her stomach. This was one of the exits for the beach. Maybe he was visiting friends? Maybe he was just spending the day at the beach? Maybe he was visiting friends and they were all going to the beach together? Any of that was possible but knowing that a weirdo had been outside their window recently, Quinn had other thoughts.

Grabbing her phone, Quinn had intended to call Olivia again. She paused long enough to consider that the news would probably freak the expecting mother out. The very last thing she needed was a worked up scared to death pregnant lady. She called Abby instead.

"Yea? What?" Abby grumbled.

"That's how you answer the phone? Really?" Quinn asked boldly.

"Yea usually. What do you want? I'm at work and shouldn't be on my phone. In fact, if I end the call all of a sudden..."

"Damn it! Why did you have to be at work today?"

"Because I like to shop."

"Shut up!" Quinn interrupted impatiently.

Abby grinned. "I like you, Quinn. You don't screw around or mince words. What's going on?"

"Listen! I staked out Liv's ex this morning. He's in his car and he's headed toward the beach. Now, I'm not saying he's going to see Liv. It could be a coincidence, but..."

"You don't believe in those." Abby supplied. "I'll call Fitz and have him get Liv out of the house for a while. You stay with him and see what the hell he's up to. I swear to god, if he goes near our house I'll..."

"Abby! Just call Fitz. We need to make sure Liv and the baby are safe. Give Fitz my number and tell him I'll text him updates. I'll call you when I know more." Quinn ended the call and concentrated on the asshole in the car she was tailing. She willed him to make every right or left turn that would take him in an opposite direction, but he kept on the road that led to the beach. Deep inside, Quinn knew he was heading for the beach house Olivia shared with Abby and herself.

"Liv? I've got to run over to the new house to meet the guy installing the security system. Are you at a stopping point, so you can go with me?" Fitz asked her. After ending the frantic call with Abby, he had called one of the guys who was on the security team at the hotel and given him the address of the house. After a very brief one sided conversation, Bradley agreed to meet Fitz at his new house and act like he was walking the grounds for a quote for a security system.

"Give me two minutes and I'll be good to go." Olivia told him. She finished her online order for more house stuff and shut her laptop with a click. "Okay. I'm ready."

Fitz gave her a smile, took her hand, and tried not to appear too anxious as he led her to the front door. He would figure out a way to keep her at the new house until Quinn let him know the asshole was gone from the area. He had to get Olivia out of the beach house she shared with the other two women permanently, and soon, before her ex got bolder with his attempts to see her. He might get ideas in his head, like trying to get her alone. Fitz would kill him before that happened. He was still shocked that the man was so persistent in seeing Olivia. Deep down, he was scared too.

Thankfully, Fitz got Olivia out of the house long before Collin did his first drive by at the beach house. Quinn wanted to watch to see what he would do, but instead she turned down a side road near the house. She parked the car and started walking before he turned around and came back for a second look. Acting like she was texting as she walked, Quinn took several pictures of Collin as he craned his neck to look at the house. She even got a picture of his license plate. Dumbass.

Keeping her head down toward her phone, but her eyes on Collin's car from under her lashes, Quinn saw him start to drive by for what she assumed was his third attempt to see if anyone was home. He stopped suddenly and called out, "hey!"

Quinn glanced up from her phone to see him looking at her.

"Yea, you."

She walked over to the rolled down passenger door and leaned on it.

"You live around here?" he asked.

"Yea."

"Do you know the girl who lives in this house?" he gestured to the girl's beach house.

Quinn took a second to try to figure out what she should say. She looked over at the house she had left when it was still dark outside that morning, to watch the house of the asshole she was having a conversation with right now. She decided to go with the truth and see what he would say. "You mean Olivia? Yea. What about her?"

Perfect. This bitch used her name, so she definitely knew Liv. "What's the name of that guy she's always hanging out with? I forget his name."

She squinted at him. "Don't you think it's weird that you're asking a stranger to give you information about somebody?"

"Shit! I'm sorry." He chuckled. "I didn't mean to freak you out. I'm an old friend of Olivia's. I haven't seen her in a while though, and I came down to see if she was home. I thought it would be fun to go to dinner. Just the three of us. The place looks kinda empty though, so I was going to text her, but I forgot her boyfriend's name."

He was a terrible actor. Now she'd lie. "Oh, that's so nice of you. She needs all the friends she can get right now.

"Really? Why's that?" he asked.

"She had such a douchy ex. Guy is a real pain in the ass from I heard." Quinn couldn't resist putting him in his place. She saw the flash of anger on his face before he concealed it with a worried look.

"She told me about him. Guy was a real jerk. Of course, that's just one side of the story."

He grinned at Quinn and she felt her skin crawl. Time for Collin to go home. "Yea, but hers is the only side I care to hear."

"Anyways, do you know her boyfriend's name? I'd hate to leave his name out when I text her, but I can't seem to remember it."

"You mean Mark?" The hotel manager's name was the first one to pop into her head.

"That's the one. Thanks!"

"What was your name? I'll be glad to tell her you were looking for her?" Quinn offered.

"That's okay. I'll text her." Collin held up his phone with a nasty grin before he peeled out, getting the hell away from the house as quickly as possible.

Quinn walked back to her car and called Fitz. Collin was crazy as well as an asshole. They were going to have to have another talk and amp the security way up. Maybe call the cops too? Quinn had a feeling that Collin wouldn't be too shy about confronting Liv if the circumstances were right. She didn't really know Liv that well, but she felt protective of her just the same. She could only imagine how Fitz, Abby and Stephen felt about her. If Collin found out about her job at the hotel or the beach house she and Fitz were about to move into, it would be really hard to protect her. She heard his voice through her phone as she climbed into the driver's seat. "Fitz? We need to talk."


	22. Surprises

**Surprises**

"What the hell are you doing?" Abby yelled in a voice full of surprise. She had come home from work early, at Fitz's strong suggestion. She had no idea what was going on but now that she was standing in the doorway of her best friend's bedroom, she saw that Olivia was packing a bag.

"I am getting out of here." Olivia muttered with barely controlled rage.

"What? Why? Where are you going?" Abby asked in rapid fire fashion.

Olivia glanced at her friend standing in the doorway. "I don't know yet, but I'm not staying here. I can't live with people who don't tell me what's going on when it involves me!"

Abby had had enough of her craziness. Walking into Liv's room, she grabbed her clothes from inside the bag and threw them on the bed. "You're not going anywhere! You need to calm down, Liv."

Olivia got in her face and pointed a finger at her. "You are supposed to be on my side, Abby."

"I am on your side." Abby said not backing down. "Always have been."

"Really?" Liv spat out. "If you were on my side you would have told me that Collin drove all the way down here and had a full on conversation with Quinn outside of this house instead of keeping it to yourself!"

"Oh. That." Abby grimaced.

"Yea. That. You get that not telling me about what he is doing isn't helpful, right?"

Abby looked toward the door, hoping to catch sight of Fitz to help her out. He was nowhere to be found. He was smart like that. "We were just trying to keep you calm. You are not supposed to be getting all wound up, as Fitz says. Who says all wound up by the way? My grandpa, that's who."

"Stay focused, Abs." Olivia sat down heavily on the bed and watched Abby sit down beside her. "I don't want my daughter living in fear. I want her to be strong and independent. I want her to be a badass."

"And she will be, but running isn't an option, Liv. And it's no way to teach your daughter how to be a badass. Collin has proven that no matter where you go, he's going to look for you. You stay and you fight, but you don't fight alone. We are all with you. And now we have another female badass on our side. A badass with a gun." Abby told her with a grin.

"I know, but I am the one he is looking for. I need for you guys to tell me when this shit happens. I know Fitz is scared. Hell, I'm petrified. But if I think everything is fine and dandy, how am I supposed to protect me and this baby when he shows up out of nowhere at...my job? Orrrrr at the new house? Or the grocery store? Do you get what I'm saying?"

Abby leaned her head on Olivia's shoulder. She wasn't packing clothes anymore, so chances were good that the majority of her mad was wearing off. "I'm sorry, Liv. I should have told you. I like to think that you and the peanut are in a special bubble of my making. A happy Abby bubble. Yea."

"You know that's ridiculous, right?" Olivia asked with a chuckle.

"Shhh!" The redhead chided her. "In my happy little bubble, you and Fitz and Riley are all happy and safe and no one can screw with you. So, when some asshole decides to come around and start some shit in my best friend's life, I feel like he has disrupted the happy little bubble and he needs to be dealt with. I know how the thought of Collin being around scares the shit out of you, so I didn't tell you. Who blabbed, by the way? Fitz?"

"Shut up. I'm the mom and it's my job to protect my baby from the asshole known as her father. I can't do that if I'm not told that he's a real threat. I'm glad Fitz told me. He knows I can handle anything as long as he's with me. Divided, we don't stand a chance."

"So, if all that's true, where in the hell did you think you were running off to? Bora Bora with Fitz? That would last five whole minutes and then you'd be missing me so much you'd beg him to bring you back home."

Olivia chuckled. "Probably. But tell me if there are any more Collin sightings please so that I can be prepared when I come face to face with him."

"That's not gonna happen, Liv. Not a long as Fitz or I have air in our lungs."

"I know Collin, and I know it's going to happen sooner or later." Olivia was quiet for a long moment. "Maybe I should just take charge of the situation. Maybe I should just go with Fitz to Collin's house and have an open and honest talk with him about everything? The wedding, Riley, the adoption. All of it. At least that way, he would see that I wasn't hiding anymore. That I came to him to talk it all out."

"Are you crazy?" Abby exclaimed. "The problem with your idea is that you are expecting a rational adult conversation, and Collin is neither of those things. He might try something."

"He wouldn't. Not with Fitz there. He'll be mad, but I wouldn't blame him for that. What I blame him for is the stalking and creepy shit he's been doing. I think this is the best way for me to diffuse the situation. I don't know if Fitz will be up to it or not."

"Well, why don't we go ask him now?"

"I know the chipper sound in your voice means you think he will side with you, but I disagree. Let's go."

"Absolutely not!" Fitz declared firmly in the living room after Olivia described what was on her mind. "You want to willingly go to his house and put your life, as well as our daughter's life in jeopardy? No!"

"Immmm just gonna...go back to my room now." Abby muttered and disappeared quickly.

"What do you think he's going to do with you standing right there, Fitz?" Olivia asked. She truly didn't understand why he thought this was going to be a big deal. They were just going to talk.

"It doesn't matter because I'm not willing to take that chance." He was trying to be patient and kind with his words, but he was quickly losing the battle. He couldn't believe that she wanted to meet with the man who had scared the shit out of her just a few days ago.

Olivia touched his shoulder. "Okay. I can see that meeting in his house is not my best idea. What if we met in a public place instead?"

Fitz sighed heavily and opened his arms, where Olivia quickly and willingly went. "I'm sorry I yelled. I just have very specific feelings about this man who gave you no choice but to run when you found out you were pregnant. I don't want you anywhere near him. I am going to have a conversation with him about adopting Riley, but I really wasn't planning on taking you with me. In fact, if you never see him again, that would be fine with me."

"He's not going to go away as easily as you think. He's going to cause problems because that's how he is."

"Hey, I have some influence, a good job, and a fleet of lawyers at my disposal should I ever need them. Let's try to stay positive about this, okay?" He pressed a kiss to her temple.

Olivia didn't say anything. She just held onto him. She knew, more than anyone, that Collin was going to be as big of a pain in the ass as he could be. And he'd get great joy in that too.

"We are going to find a resolution to this problem, Livvie. One that has a good end result for all of us. I promise."

She pulled away and looked up into his blue eyes. "I trust you, Fitz. I really do, but I can't stay in this house until you go talk to him or he's stopped or captured or whatever."

"Okay. I get it. You need to get out of the house. Let's go do something then." he suggested.

Olivia gave him a look of disbelief.

"What? Need a good diversion from thinking about all of this dark shit."

"You want to get out of the house?"

"Yea. And I know you do too." he said simply.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked. This ought to be good, she thought to herself.

"Do you have everything you need for the house?"

"We are waiting for the security system to be installed, and then we are good to move in. Thank God! I love Abby, but I am way past ready to get into my own house. But it's gotta be safe first."

"Do you have everything you need for Riley?"

"Really, Fitz?" She asked dryly. "You bought more stuff than my parents and your father combined." She put her hand on top of her belly and smiled when his covered it. "She has more clothes than all the women in this house combined. She has countless boxes of diapers, and wipes, and she already has five pairs of shoes. We're set for her, dad."

He gave her a smug look before leaning down and pecking her lips. "I can take care of my daughter however I want to, thank you very much, babe."

"She's our daughter, mister."

Fitz squatted down in front of Olivia and spoke to her belly in a whisper as he wore a conspiratorial grin. "Daddy's got you, Riley."

An idea came to him. The one thing he knew she had to need something for and would lead to them leaving the house to search for. "Do you have everything you need for the wedding?"

Olivia thought about that one for a minute. Her brain searched through her lengthy mental list of things she needed and the list of things she had bought already. A look of surpsed rememberance bloomed across her face as she remembered the one item she had put off until the end. Her eyes flicked up to his, and she wondered if she should tell him or not. "Well..."

Once again, he dipped his head and pecked her lips. Taking her hand in his he grinned down at her and said, "that's a no. Let's go shopping."

She planted her feet and his arm jerked when he tried to lead her to the door. "Liv? What's the matter?"

"I...can't go with you."

He turned to face her; his grin dropping several degrees. "Why not? Whatever it is, we'll take care of it. I promise."

"Beeeecause the only thing I have left to buy for the wedding is..." she mumbled the answer inaudibly on purpose.

Fitz took a step in her direction, squinting at her. "The last thing you have left to buy is what now?"

"Uhhhhh," she squeezed her eyes shut tight. She didn't want to see his reaction when he heard what she said. "My dress?"

His mouth formed that little o and his eyes got huge as his eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline. She couldn't resist and peeked up at him. "Livvie! You haven't bought your dress yet? Why not? After the bride, it's the star of the day!"

"I knowwww, but being pregnant makes finding a wedding dress difficult. I have to keep my growing belly in mind and who knows how huge it's going to be by the time our wedding day rolls around. I'm not looking forward to trying on dozens of dresses and being disappointed dozens of times." There it was. She had said the words out loud that she hadn't even admitted to herself. She was surprised that she felt so much better for telling him.

"Then we'll get it right the first time. ABBYYYY!" He called out.

"What? No!" Olivia squeaked out. She turned her head when she heard her crazy best friend's footsteps approaching. She gave him a look with wild eyes and asked, "what are you doing, Fitz?"

"Have the two of you kissed and made up yet, or are you still talking about..."

"Don't finish that sentence or say that name!" He warned, pointing a finger at her. "We've made up and moved onto another topic."

"Yay." Abby replied dryly.

"Has it escaped your attention that your supposed best friend still hasn't bought her wedding dress yet?" he asked.

"What?" The redhead turned her bored look onto Olivia. "What the hell, Liv? Really?"

Olivia offered a small smile.

Abby put her hand on her hip and her voice got louder. "What the hell, Liv?!"

The smile as forgotten, and a scowl replaced it.

Fitz released Liv's hand and crossed his arms in front of his chest with a satisfied grin. Abby could be the bad guy this time. She was scarier anyways.

Olivia looked at her fiancé grinning like a fool and asked, "are you just gonna let her talk to me like that?"

He was quick to reply. "uh huh."

"Why the hell haven't you found your dress yet? Your wedding is right around the corner! We don't have time for you to drag your ass on one of the most important parts of the day!"

"Thank you That's what I said too, Abs." Fitz chimed in.

Olivia turned on him, pointing a finger in his face. The moment she opened her mouth Abby started in again. "We've got to go get a dress now."

"Fitz was going to take me." Olivia offered. She didn't want to be anywhere near Abby. She was too wound up right now.

"Yea, okay. If this was Narnia, that wouldn't be a problem. But this is Florida. And in my Florida, Fitz isn't allowed to see your dress before the wedding." Abby kept her eyes on Liv as she held out her open hand in front of Fitz and waited.

Fitz reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. After opening it, he placed a credit card in Abby's open hand, then kissed her on the cheek, and said, "you're the best."

Abby grinned while keeping eye contact with Olivia and chirped out, "I know."

Olivia sent them both lethal glares.

Abby left the room to get her purse but called out, "Be ready to roll in five Liv."

Fitz took a step closer to his obviously angry little fiancé. "Five minutes. That's not a very long time for us to say bye."

"Bye." Liv said dryly and tried to walk away from him.

Fitz chuckled and put his hand on her hip. She wasn't angry, she was pissed off. "Liv?"

"Uh uh! Don't you 'Liv' me! You brought the crazy redhead into this mess, and she's gonna make me try on dress after dress until I cry or something stupid like you see on tv. I wanted to get out of the house with you. Why did you push her onto me?" Liv whined.

"You're cute when you're dramatic."

"I'll remind you of those words when I'm giving birth and probably calling you a mother..."

"My bad!" He chimed in. "I'm sorry. The truth is I need to go to the hotel for a meeting with the expansion team. It shouldn't last more than an hour or two. I'll cook dinner when I get home so that you and the crazy redhead have a hot meal waiting for you when you get here. Quinn and Stephen too. Sound good?"

"What are you going to feed me later?" she asked with a pout.

Fitz couldn't help but grin at her. Pulling her into his arms again, he asked, "what would you like to have for dinner?"

"I don't care about dinner." She replied in a sultry voice.

"Liv!" he warned. "Don't."

"I asked what you are going to feed me later?"

"Ohhhh-kay. I can't unhear that, even though I wish I could. The only thing that is making me feel remotely better is knowing I have Fitz's platinum card in my purse. Let's go, Olivia before I have to hear any more disturbing things." Abby said with a crinkled nose.

"I'll send you a picture. Keep your phone handy." Fitz said before kissing her one more time.

Olivia giggled.

"Ewww, You guys gotta move out soon." Abby muttered.

Thirty minutes later, Abby and Olivia were looking through racks and racks of wedding dresses at a cute little dress store specifically for pregnant women. They each held up beautiful white dresses for the other one to inspect closer as they browsed. Before long, the two of them had a decent number of dresses ready for Olivia to try on.

Olivia was led in the back and shown to a changing area. Abby sat down on a comfy sofa and looked through her phone as she waited for the fashion show while the employee helped Olivia into the first dress. A few minutes later, Olivia walked out. She stepped up on a flatform in front of three mirrors and waited while the young woman helping her fluffed her gown.

Abby wasn't looking at the dress. She was looking at her friend's face for her reaction. She didn't seem too thrilled about it. Still, she asked, because that was her job. "Well? Whaddya think?"

Olivia looked at her reflection in all three mirrors before making a face and saying, "I don't hate it."

Abby chuckled. "I do. But it's your day. If it doesn't make you happy then don't get it. It really is that simple."

"What if I try on a hundred dresses and I don't feel anything for any of them?" Olivia asked.

Abby shrugged. "We'll just buy you a pretty white dress to wear. Nothing fancy. But...this is just the first one you've tried on. Rome wasn't built in a day, Liv."

"You're right. I'll try on a few more."

Olivia felt a tingle as the fourth dress was taken off the hanger. She couldn't remember if she or Abby had picked this dress. It was a sleeveless, chiffon and satin, A line gown, with a V neck, that had beading across the top. It had a large pleat in the front which would accomodate her growing belly without making it seem obvious. It was gorgeous! She could hardly wait to try it on.

Once she stepped into it, Olivia knew that this was her dress. She didn't even know if it was her size, or if it would need to be hemmed, but she knew. As the employee pulled it up over her body, she silently prayed that it wouldn't need to be altered much.

She nervously kept her eyes closed until the buttons on the back were done up and the employee said, "okay. Open your eyes and see what you think of this one."

The mirror in the dressing room was much smaller, but Olivia knew. She covered her mouth with her hands and just stared at her reflection. She felt like crying, but she closed her eyes tightly once more and willed the tears away. She had one more opinion to hear and then she'd share her thoughts. She held her breath as she walked out to where Abby was texting on her phone.

The second Abby looked up her green eyes took in the sight in front of her from head to toe before she screamed. Really loudly! Getting to her feet, the redhead went to her best friend and casually asked, "what are your thoughts?"

A tear rolled down Olivia's cheek as she smiled bigger than she ever had before. "This is my dress."

"Ohmygod! This is the dress you're going to marry Fitz in! You look gorgeous! It's a tad long though." Abby observed.

"We can hem it with no problems at all." The helpful saleswoman informed them.

"Do you want a veil?" Abby asked.

Olivia crinkled her nose. "Not really. I just wanted something beautiful but simple at the same time. It's gonna be too hot on the beach for a veil anyways."

"You look amazing. Really. I'm not just kissing your ass so we can go home either."

"You're such a good friend." Olivia said rolling her eyes. "Who were you texting?"

"Fitz. He's going to be a little late tonight. But he's totally hyper that you found your dress."

"I'm never gonna hear the end of it, am I?" Olivia asked with a sigh.

"Probably not."

"That's what I thought, but I'm so happy right now, that I don't even care!"

"This is your dress?" the saleswoman asked with a knowing smile on her face.

"It is." Olivia replied, still smiling.

"Let's go make some notes, and schedule you to come in and get measured to get the length altered some. When is your wedding?"

"September twenty third."

"And when is your baby due?"

"The week of Thanksgiving."

"Perfect. Naturally, your belly is going to continue to grow between now and your wedding, but I still think the length will need to be hemmed a little bit. What we can do is schedule you to come in like a week before the wedding to get the alterations underway. That will give us a better idea of where to hem the dress without making it too short."

"Great."

"Do you want to take the dress with you or leave it here?" she asked Olivia.

Abby and Olivia looked at each other for a split second before answering in unison. "Leave it here."

The three women chuckled together, and Olivia explained. "I have a feeling my fiancé will get nosey and try to find it. The only place I could hide it is in her room and we live together at the moment."

"That's not gonna work, is it? Well, I understand perfectly. We'll put it in a garment bag with your name on it and hang it up in the back room until you come in to get it altered, okay?"

Olivia nodded.

Abby handed over Fitz's credit card confidently. The sale was completed, and the two friends watched as the dress was bagged and tagged as promised before they thanked the saleswoman once again and left.

Olivia couldn't keep the grin off her face even if she tried. She couldn't wait to tell Fitz all about the beautiful dresses she had tried on. And it hadn't taken forever to find hers either! She was so excited! She walked outside with Abby by her side and wondered how it had gotten dark so fast. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to see that they had been inside longer than she thought and that it was past dinnertime.

Abby started the car and the two of them headed to the beach house. They chatted non stop all the way to the house, the mood so much lighter than it had been when they left. Abby pulled up in front of the beach house they shared. Turning off the car, the two of them sat there and talked for a minute. "I can't believe you found your wedding dress at the first store! That was insanely easy. You know that never happens, right?"

"I'm still in shock! A deliriously happy shock, where the smile will never fall off my face."

"Good. You deserve it. You deserve nothing but good things, Liv. It's nice to see you getting them." She took off her seatbelt and leaned over to hug her friend.

Opening her eyes, Abby's heart started pounding in her chest. Without moving her lips, Abby whispered, "oh my god."

"What's the ma..." Olivia began. Her door was pulled opened. She turned in her seat to see what the hell was going on.

Collin stepped closer to her and roughly grabbed Olivia's arm. He gave her a smile and in an overly sweet voice he said, "hey, pretty girl."


	23. A Force To Be Reckoned With

**A Force To Be Reckoned With**

Previously...

Opening her eyes, Abby's heart started pounding in her chest. Without moving her lips, Abby whispered, "Oh my god."

"What's the ma..." Olivia began. Her door was pulled open. She turned in her seat to see what the hell was going on.

Collin stepped closer to her and roughly grabbed Olivia's arm. He gave her a smile and in an overly sweet voice he said, "hey, pretty girl."

His sugary sweet greeting slid into her ears and immediately brought bile to the back of her throat. Olivia stumbled out of the car, crawled a few feet away, and wretched on the ground. As her stomach emptied, only one thought screamed itself repeatedly in her brain. How was she going to get Abby and herself the hell away from Collin?

Lifting her weary head slowly, she caught sight of the beach house she shared with Abby and Quinn. There were no lights on inside or outside. They had discussed that as a group recently. To leave at least one light on at all times to make it look like someone was home after dark or expected to be home soon. Someone had forgotten. Probably Fitz.

Olivia quickly wondered where Fitz was at. And then she remembered what he had told her earlier. He had a meeting with the expansion team at the hotel, and then he was going to the grocery store. Part of her wished that he would show up and beat the shit out of Collin and end this now. The other part prayed he didn't come back to the beach house any time soon. She didn't want him to get hurt.

Maybe she could convince Collin to leave Abby there if she went with him? She was pretty convinced Collin didn't come all this way to leave empty handed. He'd come for her and probably the baby too. Of course, any interest in the baby on his part now was strictly out of spite. He didn't want to be a father. He'd told her that himself. It made Olivia wonder why he cared that she had kept the baby instead of getting rid of it as he wanted her to begin with.

It didn't matter what he wanted or how he wanted to get it. Olivia had to figure out how to get Collin to leave and keep herself and Abby safe in the meantime. He grabbed her arm once again when the vomiting stopped. "Get up!" he demanded and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go inside and have a little chat."

Olivia had a strange feeling that once they went inside the beach house, all of them weren't coming back out. She had to think fast. She'd try pleading first. "Let Abby go. She has nothing to do with any of this. Just leave her here and I'll go wherever you want to go."

"Shut up, Liv!" Abby screamed at her best friend. There was no way in hell Liv and Riley were leaving with this psycho!

"HEYYYY! Don't talk to her like that!" Collin said defensively with a raised voice. He let go of Olivia long enough to shove Abby forward. It caught her by surprise, and she fell to her knees, cutting them on the gravel driveway.

Abby brushed off her knees and got to her feet again. As she continued walking towards the house, she realized something. Collin didn't like it when she spoke against Liv. She would use that. She would also kick him in the balls for shoving her.

"Now open the door, you dumb bitch!" he growled.

The redhead unlocked the door before taking a step back.

"You go in first." he ordered.

Abby turned the doorknob and stepped inside. Collin held Olivia in place in front of him as the two of them walked into the kitchen. It was too damned dark to see anything at all in the beach house, but the three of them stood there listening for any sounds at all. When he didn't hear anything, he breathed a little easier. "Turn on a fucking light."

"Now then. Let's sit down at the table and talk some shit out. Red, pour me a drink."

Abby sent him a hate filled look. The last thing she wanted to do was wait on the bastard, but it would get her closer to the knives, or a frying pan. Anything to hit him with. "What do you want?"

"Sit down, Abby" Olivia said, getting to her feet.

"I asked her to get it" Collin told Olivia impatiently.

Olivia ignored him and went to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a glass. "Right, but she doesn't know what you want or how to fix it. Let me."

Collin watched her go to the freezer door and push the glass against it. Three or four ice cubes dropped inside the glass and then she pulled a familiar bottle down from another cabinet. She poured a generous amount into the glass before taking to him at the table.

"Whiskey on the rocks? That's his difficult drink? Whaddya think I am, stupid? Jeeez, Liv."

Collin sprung to his feet and stomped over to where the redheaded bitch was sitting. He grabbed her wrist hard, causing her to wince in pain. "I warned you about that shit."

Abby looked up at her best friend's ex. He wore a look of pure hatred as he twisted her wrist. Her heart was pounding so loud in terror, she just knew that Liv and the asshole could hear it. But she also knew that when she spoke like that to Olivia, he became enraged and took his focus off Liv long enough to dish out some kind of punishment. She looked up at him and her eyes flicked to Olivia, who was standing behind him. Hoping Liv would take the hint, Abby rolled her eyes towards the door. And that was when Collin pushed her backwards in the chair. Her head hit the floor and she was out.

Olivia covered her mouth with her hand, to keep the scream inside that threatened to spill out. Her best friend was unconscious on the floor because she was trying to protect her. Olivia needed to check on her. Was she even still breathing? Maybe if she asked him really...

"Let's talk now that that bitch is finally quiet."

Her wild eyes shifted to Abby's crumpled body on the floor. "Can I please just check on her first? To make sure she's breathing at least?"

"She's fine."

"Just let me..."

"I said she's fine! Now sit your ass down and let's talk about some things."

Olivia nervously sat down onto a wooden chair at the table. "What do you want to talk about, Collin?"

"Let's start with an easy question. Is that my baby you're carrying?"

"No, it isn't." Her hand protectively went to her belly where Riley was being very active. "It's my fiancé's baby."

"You're pregnant and getting married? You haven't been gone very long." He remarked calmly. On the inside he was anything but. He had a feeling she was lying to him. He just didn't understand why. "That was quick."

"When you know, you know." Olivia answered honestly.

"That's a lot going on in your life over a short amount of time, Oh-livia. Are you absolutely sure it's not my baby though?"

"I'm positive." Olivia answered without blinking or breaking eye contact with him.

"We'll...come back to that one later. Why did you leave me without any warning?"

"You didn't really give me a choice."

"What the hell are you talking about? I gave you money. A lot of it, to pay for an abortion. And then you were supposed to come back to my place once you had healed up so we could party. It's what we discussed."

"Do you want me to pay you back? I have the money in my bedroom." She got to her feet to go and get it. Anything to get his crazy ass far away from the beach house. She needed to check on Abby, to call Fitz, to breathe for a minute without the overwhelming stench of fear mixed in with it.

He got to his feet as well and calmly said, "no, no. I didn't come here to be paid back."

Collin pointed at her chair, and Olivia sat back down. She had to keep him calm to prevent him from flying off in a blind rage again. "I don't understand. If not for the money, then why did you come?"

He sat down in the chair closest to her and gave Olivia a smile. This bitch was lying to him. He didn't know how to explain how he knew that was a fact, but he did. No matter what it took, he was going to get her to admit the truth to him. "Well, I guess I'm wondering why you couldn't have ended things with me personally, instead of running away like a dog? You ghosted me. I wasn't even aware that there was a problem. Let alone, one big enough to cause us to break up. I guess I'm looking for some closure."

Did he really just say closure? He knocked her best friend out cold and left her lying on the kitchen floor for closure? He stalked her house for closure? He stood outside and watched her through the window for fucking closure? She couldn't scream any of that at him because it would make him lose his shit, and Olivia wasn't in a position to allow that to happen. No one was home, Abby was hurt, and Olivia was trying like hell to protect her daughter.

Instead, she kept her face free from any expression and told him, "it just felt like things were getting stale. We did the same thing every week. It was super repetitious. Looking back, I can see that I could have handled it better. I guess I understand that need for closure."

She just had it all figured out, didn't she? Miss I have an answer for everything. Bitch. He was trying to think of a different approach when Olivia spoke up.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"When you gave me the money to get the abortion, you told me how long it would take me to heal, and you knew how much it would cost. I guess I'm just wondering how many others you have paid for?" She loved to watch that look of shock spread across his face. It was all she needed to know that he had done it before with some other woman.

"We also decided not to discuss our pasts. Remember?"

"That's right. It's been a while, but I remember that rule."

"How about you tell me why when I gave you money to take care of that..." He gestured wildly with his hands towards her belly. "...thing, you kept it? And then you just ran away without a word."

She would have to lie now. She wasn't going to think about it. She was just going to say it. She put her hand back on her belly. "I did get rid of it. I got rid of it, and then I got rid of you."

Collin picked up on her tell. An evil grin covered his face. "You're a lying bitch."

"I'm not lying!" She had to convince him somehow that she was telling the truth.

"When you're trying to protect your kid, you put your hand on your belly. I've been watching you. So, shut your lying mouth and start telling me the truth, or things are going to get ugly real quick!"

"Abby is unconscious on the floor. Don't you think we are way past things _possibly_ getting ugly?" She yelled.

He reared his hand back and slapped her across the face. She screamed out in pain and almost fell out of her chair but grabbed onto the table at the last second. One of her hands came up to her cheek, and the heat could already be felt on her skin. As bad as it hurt, Olivia would take much more as long as Collin got the closure he claimed he needed and left her unborn baby alone. She had a feeling that wasn't going to be enough though.

"Admit to me that you didn't get the abortion, and that you are still carrying my baby." He was done screwing around with her. It was time for some straight answers.

"I told you, I am carrying my fiancé's baby. This is not your child." And she wasn't his. Not really.

He slapped her again. And again, she cried out. "Please stop!"

"Admit it! We decided, Olivia. To get rid of it."

She was about to deny it a third time, and saw his hand fly up. The thought of being hit again was too much. Instead, she screamed at him as tears rolled down her reddened cheeks. "No, we didn't! You decided all by yourself that I would get rid of this baby! I wanted to keep it."

"See, that wasn't so hard." He grabbed a hand towel and ran it under cold water before giving it to her as he continued talking. "We discussed it. I remember. You thought you might want to keep it, and I reminded you that we weren't made for that life. You sure didn't have a problem taking my money. Did you?" He tipped his glass back and emptied it.

She put the towel on one of her cheeks to ease the sting. She would have to try another approach. "Your money went towards removing the baby from your life. Is there a baby in your life right now that you have to worry about?"

Was she insane? Had she lost her mind? Collin kept eye contact with her, and hoped she wasn't about to say some smartass bullshit right now. "No."

"See! You got what you paid for. You didn't want a baby, and you don't have a baby. I do."

"Don't talk to me like that, Olivia! I am not above slapping you again! To get down to brass tacks, why the hell didn't you get an abortion, like we discussed?"

"Because I didn't want to have an abortion. I wanted to have a baby! And she will never know who you..."

"You already know what it is? That's amazing. Another pretty girl."

Olivia got to her feet, feeling bold determination mix with her motherly instinct. "You will never call her pretty girl! Do you hear me? She will know about you only when she's old enough to be told about you. You didn't want her, and she doesn't need you."

"Calm down." he said quietly. He did not appreciate the way she was speaking to him.

"She has a dad. A real dad, who loves her and is there for her, and can't wait to spend time with her."

"I am her dad!" he screamed.

"You didn't want her from the moment you found out about her. But he did! He loves her and he is going to be her dad! He is going to adopt her and make her legally his daughter." She screamed back.

Collin couldn't listen to her rant on and on about that fucking guy anymore. He pushed his chair back and got to his feet quickly. With an ugly sneer on his face, he took the few steps to her and slapped her across the face again to make her stop talking.

The sound of his hand hitting her skin was deafening. Olivia fell to her hands and knees, holding her face. Her cheeks were throbbing. A headache was beginning to make itself known too, and all of a sudden, she felt exhausted. She held onto her belly to protect her daughter as the tears began to fall. He was going to end up killing them both out of hatred. All because she didn't do exactly what he commanded months ago.

As she wiped her eyes, her gaze fell on Abby, still lying on the floor. She scurried over on her hands and knees to where her friend was, and pushed her beautiful, long, red, hair out of her face to make sure she was still breathing. Abby's eyes were still closed, and she was unresponsive. Olivia cried louder, making her lip throb. One of her fingers came up to touch the painful spot on her lip and Olivia discovered it was split open. She wiped the blood away and focused on Abby.

"Abby? Hey, Abs? You okay?" Olivia gently called out, shaking her slightly. Abby groaned faintly and Olivia cried harder and continued to push the red strands out of her friend's face.

The air suddenly came whooshing out of Olivia as an arm hooked under her armpits and pulled her away from her friend. "Abby is taking a little nap."

"Stop it! She might be hurt really bad!" Olivia screamed, trying to get away from him. She slapped his hands, clawed at him, and screamed louder. "NOOOOOO!"

Collin grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked it back so that Olivia was looking up at him. She immediately stopped fighting against him as she winced, and her hands went to her head to try to pry his fingers out of her hair. Her face was tear soaked and both cheeks were red. "You listen to me now. While your good friend Abby sleeps, we are going to pack for a little trip. Well, that's a lie. I guess that makes us both liars, huh? It'll be a long trip. You're not ever coming back here."

Olivia remembered her initial feeling when they entered the house. Bone deep fear gripped her heart and began to squeeze tightly. "I don't want to go with you, Collin. Just leave me here. Please! I won't tell anyone anything I swear! I'll say that Abby fell and bumped her head. She will go along with it. Pease!"

He simply gripped her hair even harder until she stopped fighting and stopped begging. "You are going with me. You will be taken to a doctor and examined. I will be told when your due date is and how far along you are. You will never come back here, and you will never see that goofy looking asshole ever again. The three of us will learn to be a happy little family."

She had to think fast. She decided to just go with the truth. "I am due on November twenty fifth. I don't want to go with..."

Collin pulled her hair impossibly tighter in his fist, making her cry out in pain. "How do I know you're not lying?"

Olivia recalled the paperwork she had gotten from her first obstetrician appointment here. Paperwork that confirmed that she was pregnant and what her due date was. Papers she had gotten while Fitz had gone back to California. Her hands dropped as a feeling of defeat took over her. She would never see Fitz again. She would never tell him that she loved him or hear him say it to her. The ache she felt in her heart hurt worse than any pain Collin could inflict on her. "I have papers in my room that prove what I'm saying."

"Let's go get them together. Nice and slow." He helped her to her feet and followed her to retrieve the papers she claimed to have.

"I need to use the restroom first." She saw the hesitation in his eyes, she added, "please."

"Fine but leave the door halfway open. If things get too quiet in there, I'm coming in." he warned. "Where are those papers?"

Olivia stepped into the bathroom and closed the door halfway. It creaked at the effort. Looking at her reflection in the mirror brought fresh tears to her eyes. Her face was red and blotchy, from crying and from his hand. Her hair...It would take a miracle to get a comb through it. It didn't matter anyway. "They are in the top drawer of my nightstand."

She pulled her leggings and underwear down, sat on the commode, and started emptying her bladder. Listening to him rustling papers in her room, Olivia lifted her head in time to see a shadow move past the door. Who in the hell was that? Abby? She doubted her best friend had made such a quick recovery since she had checked her less than five minutes ago. Where was Collin?

"Did you find them?" she called out as she hurriedly finished.

"Got em!" He called out.

Olivia cleaned herself up and yanked her pants up. She went to the sink to quickly wash her hands when she heard an ear piercing sound. Olivia hit the floor and curled herself into the smallest ball possible and once again covered her mouth to keep the frenzied scream inside. She didn't even dare to breathe.

A million questions ran through her mind. Was that a gunshot? Since when did Collin have a gun? Was he shooting at her? At Abby? Was he trying to scare the shit out of her? Trying to get her to hurry up?

Suddenly, the bathroom door creaked open. He was going to kill her now for sure. Olivia squeezed herself into an even smaller ball and put a hand protectively over her belly. She listened intently, still too terrified to breathe. Why wasn't he yelling at her? The waiting was much worse.

A hand touched her arm. Olivia screamed loudly and continued crying, but she avoided looking up into his mean face. "Stop it! Stop it! I'll go with you. I'll do whatever you want. Just please don't hurt my baby."

"Liv? It's me. It's Quinn." a voice answered in a soothing tone.

Olivia took a moment to make sure the voice matched Quinn's. When she realized that no one was kicking her or hitting her or yelling at her, Olivia's head snapped up to meet the concerned brown eyes of Quinn. Her eyes doubled in size and they darted fearfully towards the door. "Quinn? H...How did you get in here? He'll hear you. He's got a gun. You've got to go get help! Hurry!"

Quinn's heart broke at the sight of her friend. She was curled into herself, trying to keep Riley safe from the asshole known as her father. "Liv? I am the help. I shot Collin."

"He'll get up again! He always gets up again." Olivia whispered.

"Hey! He's not gonna get up this time. He's dead. I checked. Now, I need to call nine one one to let them know what happened."

"Don't leave me!" Olivia pleaded with wild eyes as she clung to Quinn's arm and tears ran down her face.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna stay right here with you, okay?" Quinn said in a soothing voice.

Olivia clawed at Quinns shirt while keeping her eyes trained on the door. She still wasn't quite convinced that Collin was dead.

"Liv?" Quinn asked, trying to get her mind on anything but her ex. "Where's Abby?"

"Sheeee's in the kitchen. Collin pushed her backwards in her chair and she hit her head. She wasn't moving. I don't know if..." Olivia couldn't finish that sentence.

"Hey!" Quinn said in a firmer tone as she touched the three digits. "She's fine. Do you hear me? We'll go check on her together while I talk to them on the phone. Yes, this is Quinn Perkins. I just shot and killed an intruder. My address is..."

Olivia nodded wildly and Quinn helped her to her feet. The two of them crept into the kitchen quietly, where Olivia got down on her knees near Abby while Quinn gave more information. "Abby?" she whispered.

"My head is killing me." Abby moaned.

"Abs! You're okay? I am so sorry!" Olivia said, still crying. She gently pulled her friend's head onto her lap and apologized over and over through her tears.

"They are sending a car and an ambulance for you guys. I don't care what you say, Liv, you're getting checked out this time." Quinn told her. She took a few steps away and immediately touched the screen of her phone to make one more much needed call.

"Don't be sorry, Luv. He's was a monster." Abby stated. "Did you really shoot it, Quinn?"

"Shoot him? Yes, I did. You might have a concussion, Abs."

"How did you get into the house?" Olivia asked when Quinn rejoined them.

"I came home from work early with a migraine. In fact, I saw Fitz before he left for his meeting. I told him I was going to lay down in Abby's bed. He turned off all the lights and assured me that no one would be home for hours, and hoped I'd get better. I heard you guys come in, but thought I was dreaming. By the time I realized that I wasn't and exactly what was going on, I had to wait for the opportunity to catch him alone." She shrugged. "When I heard you ask to go to the bathroom while he rummaged around in your room, I knew that was my moment. I'm really sorry I scared the shit out of you, Liv."

"Don't ever apologize to me for anything that happened here tonight." She hugged Quinn and the tears started again. "You saved Abby, me, and Riley from him. There's no telling what would have happened if you hadn't been here. Thank you."

Abby shakily got to her feet. She had a huge knot on the back of her head, along with a killer headache, but she was alive. She owed Collin some payback. "Take me to him, Quinn."

"I really don't think that is such a..."

"Do it" Abby commanded.

"I need to see it for myself too. Otherwise, my mind will make me think he could come back any time." Olivia admitted.

"You two are crazy as hell. Let's go." Quinn announced. She got on one side of Abby while Olivia got on the other side. Together, the three of them slowly made their way towards the body on the floor in Olivia's bedroom.

Collin was crumpled up on the floor lying mostly on his back and side. The three women huddled together as they tiptoed towards him. "There's a lot more blood than they show in the movies." Abby said softly.

"And his eyes are open. It's really weird looking."

The three of them all looked up when blinking red and blue lights slashed through the mostly dark house. Abby quickly stepped away from the other two women and boldly went to the dead body on the floor. She reared her foot back and let it fly into his still soft crotch. "That's for hitting me, you asshole."

She kicked him twice more and said, "one's for Liv and one's for Riley. You were a son of a bitch and I'm glad you're dead."

Knocking could be heard at the door and a man's voice informing them they were the police.

"Come on. Let's go let them in and give our statements." Quinn told them.

Just as Olivia was finishing up her side of the story for the officer, a car sped into the driveway. It had barely been put into park when the driver's door was opened, and Fitz jumped out. He yanked open the front door and ran inside shouting, "LIV!"

Officers quickly reached for their weapons as Quinn quickly said, "it's okay. He lives here!"

Olivia immediately ran to him and collapsed against his body. They both sank to the floor as they held each other as tightly and as closely as they could. Both of them were crying and whispered comforting words to the other. The officers relaxed by several degrees and gave them some time together.

After every statement had been taken, and Collin's body had been tagged and bagged by the morgue, the ambulances loaded Olivia and Abby and took them to the hospital to be checked out fully. Abby had concussion, as suspected, and Liv was kept for overnight observation for both she and her baby.

It was never discussed, but the girls never went back to the beach house. Fitz knew that they wouldn't want to go back. Not with all of the dark memories and death the house now held for the three women. He had his father find a reasonably priced rental house on the beach for Abby and Quinn to live in. Someplace to start fresh together. The rent was paid for three months by Fitz. He felt it was the least he could do for the brave women who helped keep his fiancé and daughter safe.

Max got in touch with a moving company, who went into the house once the all clear had been given by the police. They packed up everything, with the exception of anything that was in Olivia's bedroom and took it to the new house. The two women would have to unpack their items and put them wherever they wanted them to go, but they had the breathing room to do that when they were ready.

The next afternoon, Abby and Olivia were picked up by Fitz, Stephen, and Quinn. All five of them spent a week at Fitz and Liv's beach house. It was the perfect diversion while the new rental for Abby and Quinn was being settled. There were serious conversations, some laughs, and a lot of tears. The five of them began the long healing process, and helped each other become much stronger than they already had been.


	24. Escape Plan

**Escape Plan**

"Please" Olivia whimpers softly. He was right there, and the knowledge was almost too much to bear.

Fitz shifts slightly, opening his eyes and looks over at Olivia. It's difficult to see anything in the darkness of their bedroom but the faint glow from the night light in the bathroom gives off just enough light. He can see that her eyes are closed tightly and her hands are balled into fists. He isn't sure if he heard her say something, so he listens more intently.

"Don't do this!" she mumbles a little louder as she thrashes in their huge king size bed.

He sits up in bed, having heard her perfectly well that time and begins to rub his hands up and down her arms as he gently calls her name. "Livvie? Hey. Wake up, babe."

"Stop it! Don't touch me!" Olivia screams. Her voice gets louder and more frantic with each word she says. He had found her again. Knowing it filled her with overwhelming terror. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone? She jerked her arms away from him, but he was relentless and kept holding onto her. "Leave me alone!"

"Olivia!" Fitz says in a slightly firmer tone. "Wake up. It's just a dream."

Finally, she opens her wide eyes and they dart wildly around the darkened room. When they landed on Fitz, she quickly pulls away from him. She scrambles to the edge of her side of the bed as her heart hammers as if she had been running a marathon.

"Hey. It's just me." He tells her patiently with his palms facing her in a non threatening way.

"Fitz?" She whispers, before lunging at him. She feels the warmth of his bare chest under her still grasping hands as she tries to hold him as close as she can with her belly in the way. She starts to cry as her hands continue to claw at him, trying to get him even closer. Everything she saw and felt in the dream seemed so real. She just knew that Collin was there, laughing at her, taunting her, looming nearby even though she couldn't see him. She was all alone with him, and that made it even more terrifying.

"It's okay. You're safe. It was just a nightmare." Fitz tells her in a soothing tone as he pulls her onto his lap. She's soaked in sweat and clinging to him desperately. He rubs her back in a soothing pattern as he gently sways them back and forth, until she feels ready to talk about it.

It had been over a month since the incident at the beach house with Collin had happened. Olivia had bad dreams about Collin almost every night for the first few weeks after it happened, and then they started to trickle off. It had been six days since the last time Olivia had screamed in her sleep, thinking that her ex was after her.

Fitz hadn't let her out of his sight once she had been released from the hospital and brought home. He had been overcome with joy at knowing she was alive when he arrived at the beach house, that he hadn't taken the time to really look at her.

When things had calmed, when he and Olivia had calmed, she had been loaded into the back of an ambulance, and that was when Fitz had really taken a look at her. Her cheeks had bright red marks on them from the continued blows delivered by Collin's hand. Her tear stained face and frightened eyes, constantly darting around, looking for Collin to reappear - just like she was doing right now - had almost broken him. The moment the siren on top of the ambulance sounded when they began to head towards the hospital, Olivia had practically jumped out of her skin. Fitz had held it all together until she had been wheeled away to get looked at by a doctor the moment they arrived.

The next day, while Olivia's parents had visited her in the hospital, Fitz had gone to the girl's beach house to look around inside. It didn't take long for him to see how close he had come to losing her. That was when the panic and anger had seized his heart, knowing what she had endured being in that house with that asshole. He kept her close and constantly told her that he loved her. It was unclear to Fitz if it was more for her or for him.

He also learned that she and Riley were much stronger and more resilient than he knew. Their daughter never stopped moving inside her mother's belly no matter what had been happening on the outside. The doctors said that Riley was just fine and had been unaffected by the whole thing. He couldn't have been more thankful at that news.

A small part of Fitz wished that Collin was still alive just so that he could kill him himself. It was selfish and wrong to think that way, he knew, but Fitz hated that the damned man still evoked fear in the heart of his fiancé. He hated that she woke up covered in sweat with her heart banging out of her chest. He couldn't stand the immediate look of horror that crossed her face the moment she locked eyes with him. The moment before her brain reasoned that the man in bed beside her wasn't going to hurt her. It left him feeling useless. All he could do was offer her comfort and be patient for her to open up about it when she was ready to do so.

The bigger picture was a lot easier to deal with, and that was why Fitz focused on it most of the time. With Collin out of the picture for good, that meant Fitz could adopt Riley without having to worry about the Collin obstacle. It meant that the conversation with her would be much easier to have when she was old enough to understand, because her father wasn't just actively not interested in her as a person or his daughter, he was dead. Fitz was very glad that his daughter would never have to live in fear of her father reappearing or threatening to take her away from them. Collin being out of the picture this way was for the best.

All he wanted was for him and Liv to get married and wait for Riley to arrive. He hoped that the newborn would keep them so occupied that there wouldn't be room for thoughts of Collin to enter into their happy little world. But the wedding was still a month away, and that probably meant more nights just like this one.

"I'm sorry." Olivia's muffled voice finally broke through the silence. She was starting to feel a little less panicked. Her breathing was almost back to normal, and the bulk of fear had subsided. Being in Fitz's arms calmed her like nothing else, and she couldn't let go. Not yet. So she spoke into his shoulder and just hung on.

It broke Fitz's heart to hear her apologize for this. She couldn't control what she dreamed any more than she could control how it left her exhausted and shaky afterward. "You do not apologize to me for having a nightmare."

"But I..."

"I mean it, Livvie. Don't."

She sighs and loosens her death grip on him. She pulls back to look him in the eye, feeling the rest of her fear dissipate the moment she sees the calm on his face. Her fingertips graze his chin lightly and she asks, "is my big pregnant butt crushing your legs yet?"

"These thighs are thick and they love to have you sitting on them. Besides, you still don't weigh anything. Stop worrying about me. Are you a little feeling better now?"

"Yea."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It helps it leave my mind quicker when I talk it out. And it helps me to remember that I am safe and that he can't get me anymore. Can we get a snack first though? Maybe sit out on the back porch? Hearing the waves always helps settle me." she said. He'd say yes to just about anything she asked for, and while she would never take advantage of that, it was such a comfort to Olivia. She was already trying to get off of his lap and head into the kitchen.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, tightening his grip on her waist slightly.

"I just said...To the kitchen. For a snack while we talk." Was he going deaf?

"I know. You want ice cream. With caramel and strawberry shit on it because you think that tastes good now, for some reason." He crinkles up his nose in disgust. "I'll never understand pregnancy cravings."

Olivia chuckles and it makes him breathe a little easier. He was getting better at calming her down after these traumatic nights. "Can I have a hug first? I need to feel your arms around me without the terror running through your veins. Please?"

There was nothing she would say no to him for either. She immediately wraps her arms around him and nuzzles her face in his warm neck. He smells clean from the shower he had taken before they had gone to bed. His arms are strong and they hold her close while making her feel protected and cherished. He was a wonder.

"Okay, I can feel you itching to get up." he relents.

"Ice cream with caramel and strawberry shit on it is very good! You should try it sometime." she tells him.

He looks into her beautiful brown eyes. The room is still dim, but his eyes had adjusted to it by now. Her eyes were clearer and much calmer. It settles him. "No thank you. I love you, you know?"

Olivia smiles lovingly at him. "I know."

"Come on." He keeps her on his lap and scoots to the edge of the bed. When his feet touches the floor, he stands up while holding her in his arms. "What kind of ice cream would you like with your toppings?"

"I thought we only had vanilla?" She replies absentmindedly.

"Somebody might have gone to the store today." He explains with a grin. That was going to get him so many brownie points when she was feeling more like herself.

She claps like a little kid and said, "Abby is the best!"

Fitz pinches her ass and shoots her a look as they enter the kitchen. He opens the freezer and said, "I'm sorry. Who is the best?"

Olivia turns her head to see what he wants praise for. The freezer looks like the ice cream parlor they sometimes visit. He had bought no less than eight cartons of ice cream. Her eyes scan the flavors listed on the brightly colored cartons. No two were the same. When she turns to look at him, she notices the proud smile on his face right before she excitedly presses her lips to his and tells him, "you are the best!"

"I know." He sets her on her feet and goes to get two bowls and spoons while she decides which flavor to start on first.

She chooses mint chocolate chip, and generously spoons strawberry topping from the glass jar on top of the ice cream. Grabbing the brown plastic container sitting on the counter, Liv squeezes the caramel sauce on top of the red and green stuff inside the bowl. It looks heavenly to her and she can't wait to taste her creation. She grabs a spoon from the counter and heads towards the back door, leaving Fitz to clean up their little mess.

After putting the ice cream back into the freezer, Fitz opens the door and sees her sitting on the edge of one of the chaise lounges. That was a good sign. It means she wants to sit with him instead of by herself. It's a small thing, but tonight it means a lot to him. He swings his long leg over the seat and leans back against the chair. Olivia wastes no time in scooting herself backwards until her back is reclined against his chest.

The two of them eat in silence for a few minutes in the padded chair. Fitz knows she is gathering her thoughts. Trying to figure out how to tell him what she had seen while her eyes had been closed and how it made her feel. He would be as patient as she needed him to be. Fitz focuses on his ice cream and the feel of her close to him as the sound of the waves crash against the sand not too far away.

Finally, Olivia speaks up.

"Collin was hiding from me in the old beach house. He wouldn't come out and face me so we could talk things out, but he would call my name from wherever he was. He said my name like...like it was a song or something. It was creepy as hell."

Fitz wants to add his two cents, but he had learned to keep quiet and let her talk it completely out until she was finished.

"Abby was on the floor near the table, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get to her. I was screaming her name and crying because I couldn't reach her. It was scary and frustrating, but on top of that, Collin calling out my name made it worse. I don't think I could have survived if anything had happened to Abby that night. I mean, if she had gotten hurt worse than a concussion, I would have been just...lost. You know what I mean?"

When she began asking questions, Fitz knew she was ready for his input. So, he gave it. And he used Collin's name because Fitz didn't want him to be that person they never spoke about. He felt like talking about him stripped away some of the power he had over Liv and made him less scary. "That makes a lot of sense. Abby is your best friend. When you moved to this town, to get away from Collin, she was the only person here who just kinda clicked with you. The two of you are more like sisters than friends really. It's natural to feel that way about her, I think. Did Collin ever come out from hiding so you could see him?"

"No." She shrugs. "But I think that must have been around the time you were trying to wake me up. I didn't mean to push you away or hit you while I was asleep."

"I know you didn't." Fitz tells her. "It was just a reaction to what was happening in your nightmare. It's been a while since you've had one, and I think you're doing really well after everything you've been through."

"That's all I can remember about it, so it was a really short one this time."

"I'm really proud of you."

She sets both of their now empty bowls down on the small table nearby before climbing onto his lap and nuzzling into his neck. "As lost as I would have felt if anything more serious had happened to Abby, I wouldn't have been able to get through this at all without you. You've been my rock. So strong and patient. Full of endless comfort and reassurances. I've never felt safer or more protected, especially after we got into our new house, and I owe it all to you."

"You don't. This is something that we have to work through, and I'm here for you no matter what. But there's only so much I can do. I can't follow you into your dreams at night and protect you there. There are some things you'll have to do yourself." He hates saying the words out loud, but he knows they are true. "It's been a while since you've had a nightmare, and I think maybe it happened tonight because we got off course with our bedtime routine, and the doctors told you that sticking with one every night would lessen your chances of nightmares."

Olivia thinks about that for a minute and nods. "You're right. We've been staying up later than normal and catching up on all of our favorite tv shows."

"We've even fallen asleep on the sofa a few times too." Fitz points out.

"Yea. We need to do better."

"What would you say to following our nighttime routine somewhere else?"

"I don't understand. We just got into this house. Where would we go?" Olivia asks with a confused look.

"How would you like to go to Los Angeles with me for a few days?"

"Why? I mean, do you need to go there for work and you're scared to leave me here by myself? Because I could stay with Abby and Quinn and feel perfectly safe."

"I'm sure you would, but I don't have to go there for work. I was thinking more for a mini vacation before the wedding in a few weeks. I know you love the beach, but a change of scenery, as well as getting out of town might do both of us some good. What do you think?"

Olivia eyes her handsome fiancé. His big heart is nothing short of precious to her. She wills herself not to grin at his idea, but to feign indifference. "What would we do there?"

Fitz knows the game she's playing. He can practically feel the excitement radiating off her. He's about to give her a hard time, but after the night she'd just had, he decides against it. "We could go shopping."

"Fitz, this baby has way too much..."

"Not for Riley. For you this time. You are going to need a few things at the hospital when you have her. A fuzzy robe and some new slippers? Who knows? I might even be swayed into taking you to get a mani pedi. If you're good."

His hand come up and brushes a wind whipped strand of hair behind her ear. It just blows back across her face again when he let go. Olivia turns her face into his palm and presses her lips against it. God, he loves her. "In all seriousness, this trip is for you and me. It's not just a mini vacation, it's also our last trip before our daughter arrives."

"Sooooo, you're saying you want to spoil me a little bit. Is that it?" she asks with a mischievous grin.

"Uh uh." He watches her face fall some. It makes his own grin double in size before he quickly pecks her lips. "I want to spoil you a lot! Fancy dinners, sightseeing, walks on the beach...because I know my soon to be wife oh so well."

"And shopping!" she squeaks out giddily.

"Yes. And shopping. I don't know how you women can turn shopping into a hobby that lasts all day, but I'm willing to take one for the team."

"You're the best, babe!" Olivia exclaims and hugs him tightly.

"Of course it's my mini vacation too, and I'm going to want..."

"Sex. Right?" Olivia interrupts.

"No. I mean, yes, but that wasn't what I was thinking." He looks down at the ground with a frown before adding, "why wasn't I thinking about that?"

"Fitz!? If it wasn't sex, what were you thinking?" She asks impatiently.

"Bubble baths."

Olivia lifts her head to look at him. "Really?"

"Yea. You and me in a tub filled with bubbles. It sounds soooo relaxing and fun and intimate. I dunno. I just want to take some time to relax with you and pamper you. To have you all to myself for a while before we become parents." He squints at her. "Why haven't we taken a bath together before?"

"I don't know." she chuckles at him. "You've never really voiced the desire to do so until now. It does sound heavenly though. We can do bubble baths every night if you want while we are away. When do you want to go?"

"We can use the company jet and leave today."

"Today, today?" she asks in a surprised tone.

"It's the only today I know about."

"Smartass."

"I'll have to call dad and let him know where we'll be and for how long so he doesn't worry."

"I'll have to make the same call to my parents, as well as Abby and Quinn."

"Great. Do you think you can you be ready to leave by noon?"

"I mean, I'll have to forgo my afternoon nap, but yea! I can absolutely be ready to board the company jet by noon. Ohmygoodness! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so excited!" Once again, she wraps her arms around him as she showers his jawline with kisses. "We are going to have so much fun together!"

And just like that, all of the gloominess and heaviness are gone. She is excited and happy and Fitz knows she is making plans in her head of where they can go while they are away. He loves nothing more than to see his Livvie happy. This trip will be good for both of them. He can show her off in his hometown as he shows off his hometown to his fiancé. It was gonna be great.


	25. Come Fly With Me

**Come Fly With Me**

Fitz and Olivia were dropped off at Melbourne Airport by a taxi. The two of them navigated their way through the crowds of people to get to where they needed to be in order to board the private jet. Their luggage was taken and the happy couple ascended the few steps that led to the inside of the fancy aircraft.

When she reached the top step, Olivia paused, still outside, and let out a surprised sound. "Ooooooh."

"It's nice, huh?" Fitz asked from behind her.

"It really is. I imagined what it would look like, but this wasn't it."

"Have you ever flown on a private jet before?" he asked.

Olivia shrugged and spoke in a mocking tone. "Pfff, it's the only way I fly. Coach is for peasants. Am I right?"

Fitz chuckled at her. She was still standing in the doorway, not going any further inside. Olivia's nerves were showing. He ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to figure out how to address it when she spoke up.

Turning around, she faced him and gave a nervous smile. "I've never flown in a private jet before."

He gave her a lopsided grin and tapped her on the nose. She was cute when she was nervous. "I kinda figured that out already."

"I've actually never flown at all."

His grin slid off his face and a look of surprise took its place. "Oh. That'ssss...very different. I'm sorry. I just assumed from your excitement last night that you were okay with all of this."

"I am."

"I should have asked. We can cancel the trip."

"Fitz."

"We cannnnn rent a car, throw our bags in the trunk, and...I don't know..." His mind sputtered out the first thing that came into it. "Drive up the coast or something. Whatever you want to do."

"No!" She blurted out.

"Livvie, it's okay. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. And the fear is probably going to spike your blood pressure which means it's not good for the baby either. Let's just go get a car and take a relaxing drive."

She put her hands on his cheeks, and gave him a smile. He was doing whatever he could to put her mind and blood pressure at ease. It was the cutest damned thing. "Hey. It's okay. I am excited, and I do want to fly to California with you."

"You do?" Fitz asked in a doubt filled voice.

She turned back around to face the cabin and take in the sight of the polished fanciness that greeted her eyes everywhere they landed. Olivia twisted her hands nervously and took a deep breath, and the first step inside the plane. "Yea. I mean, we're already here."

"I don't want you to be scared. We can fly somewhere another time. There really is no rush."

"I don't want to wait. I am a little bit anxious about it, but if you promise to stay beside me and hold my hand and explain everything, then I think I'll be okay." She looked around the cabin again and asked, "where's the flight attendant?"

"Since the flight isn't that long, I didn't think we'd need one." Fitz put his arms around her from behind and nuzzled his face into her neck. "I can definitely hold your hand and tell you what's going on though. I promise. And you can relax. But just remember, it's a short flight. Less than four hours."

"I know. I Googled it. And I brought some stuff to keep me busy in case I get bored." She lifted the handle of the small bag in her hand to show it to him.

"What I meant was, you can lay down because there is a bed on board."

"What? No way!" Her eyes darted all around the interior as if she expected a bed to suddenly pop up out of nowhere.

"Uh huh!" Fitz replied with a nod. "It's in the back. Do you want to see it?"

"I do now!" Olivia set her bag down in an empty seat and took Fitz's hand, following him towards the back of the plane.

The two of them walked past a section of seats, past a partition - much like the separation between first class and coach seating on a regular plane. On the other side of the partition a perfectly made up bed was nestled up against one side of the aircraft. It had a pretty striped blanket spread across it with several plush looking pillows at the head of the bed. It looked very inviting to Olivia, and although it was only a bit past noon, she found herself yawning as she looked at it.

She sat down on the side of the bed and let out a frustrated sound.

"What's the matter?" Fitz asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I really wanted it to be uncomfortable." she whined.

"I don't understand. Why would you want that?"

"Because then I wouldn't want to be in it." She slid off her sandals and was about to crawl up to where the pillows beckoned her when Fitz grabbed her waist.

"Not so fast, sleepy head. We have to get in our seats and get buckled up for takeoff first." He pulled her off the bed and back toward the seats. After he fastened her seatbelt Fitz pulled on it to make sure it was secure, and then pressed a kiss to her temple. He sat down in the chair beside hers and got himself safely buckled up. "The minute the pilot tells us we can take off our seatbelts you can go lay down."

The two of them were engaged in mindless chatter to keep Olivia's nerves from going into overtime when the pilot's voice interrupted them. "Good afternoon folks. My name is Thomas and I'll be your pilot for the flight from Florida to Los Angeles today. This flight should take about four hours, and the beautiful weather should make for a smooth ride. We are currently second in line for takeoff and are expected to be in the air in approximately four minutes. Make sure your seatbelts are securely fastened and your electronic devices are turned off at this time. Thank you."

Olivia gripped the arm rests a little tighter and looked over at Fitz, trying to hide the panic that was starting to bubble up inside of her. They were about to be in the air. Like, not on the ground anymore. The perfectly safe ground. What was she doing here? What made her say yes to flying across the nation on a whim? She was an idiot! An idiot who would crash faster because she was in a private jet! She shouldn't have...

"Don't do that. Don't put yourself down." Fitz said calmly and took her hand. "We are taking a short flight for a change of scenery and we are going to have a great time together too. You're gonna love LA."

"Now, in a few minutes the plane is going to start moving forward. Just like a car." Fitz continued patiently. "We'll start out slow and then get faster. But you won't even realize it. Unless you want to look out the window and watch?"

Olivia nervously glanced out the window to her left. To her surprise, there were people out there – doing who knew what on foot – as well as people driving weird looking truck type of deals that probably held luggage. She could also see the airport, and lots of other planes. It was kinda cool and she silently nodded. Watching how it all went down might make her feel more at ease.

"Then let's do that." Fitz leaned closer towards her, still holding her hand. She tightened her grip on his some when the plane began to move a minute or two later, and he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Another moment later, something magical happened. She let go of his hand and leaned closer towards the window to see better. He smiled at the back of her head, happy to know that she was much more at ease now.

Olivia was marveling at the sight outside. The takeoff had been truly remarkable and so much fun to watch as the ground got further and further away from them. It made her wonder why she had been so fearful about flying in the first place. She wanted to fly all the time now!

A familiar voice broke through her happy thoughts a short while later. "This is your Captain speaking again. We have reached our cruising altitude and the Fasten Seatbelt Sign has been turned off. You are now free to move around the cabin."

Fitz unbuckled his seatbelt and then Olivia's. She practically jumped onto his lap, full of pent up excitement. "That was amazing!"

"You weren't scared?"

"Not at all! That was the best thing I have ever witnessed"

"I guess you're probably too amped up to go lay down now, huh?" Fitz asked.

She shot him a look and put her hand on her belly. "I am pregnant. I'm always ready to lay down somewhere."

He pecked her lips and once the two of them were on their feet he led her back to where the bedroom was and slid the door closed. Olivia wasted no time crawling back on top of it, face down on top of a pillow, and let out a deep contented sigh with her eyes closed.

"Hey, hey, hey." Fitz said in a soothing voice as he toed off his own shoes. He crawled up to where Olivia laid and settled himself beside her on his back. "You can't go to sleep."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She growled, opening one eye at him. "You just said I could."

"Nooooo. What I said was you could lay down. I never mentioned sleeping at all." He grinned over at her as he pulled her on top of his chest.

Olivia chuckled at his sly move, and her fingers slid into the curls on top of his head. She leaned down connecting their lips in a kiss that turned to smoldering when her tongue slithered into his mouth. She felt Fitz grip her hips and grind into her center as an appreciative sound vibrated up from his throat.

"This flight lasts almost four hours?" Olivia asked after she pulled away from his lips.

"MmmHmm" he hummed seductively as he lifted his head and nibbled on her bottom lip.

"Are you going to be able to keep me informed on what is going on at all times while we are in the air, like you promised?"

"I promised I would and I will." He told her solemnly. "But you've got to promise me something too."

She knew what the sneaky man was up to. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. "What's that?" she asked with a grin.

He began to pull the hem of her sun dress up as he asked, "I need you to promise to keep this thing off as long as the seatbelt sign stays off."

She sent him a flirtatious look as she swatted his hands away and pulled it up over her thighs, her baby bump, her boobs – that were practically spilling out of the pink strapless bra they were confined to –and finally her head. She held onto the thin pink material of the dress and held it over her front, looking around. Her eyes landed on, and stayed fixed to, the oblong shaped windows on both sides of the room.

Fitz saw the issue and addressed it. "Trust me, babe. No one is going to be looking inside those windows to see anything that we are doing."

Chuckling at her silliness, Olivia tossed her dress onto a nearby table top and focused on the man beneath her. He had that look on his face. Happy determination. The one that held a confident smile. His blue eyes were hooded, hazy, and filled with lust. He was looking at her intently, and every few seconds his tongue slid out between his lips, and then disappeared back in his mouth again. She watched his tongue like a hawk. Olivia wanted that tongue in her mouth and on various parts of her heating skin making it even hotter.

Taking a moment to enjoy the calm, her fingers played in his chest hair as she looked down lovingly at him. Fitz's hands were slowly traveling up the tops of her silky smooth thighs. He seemed quite content to let her do the leading this time. Extending his thumbs purposefully, they inched closer to her center the higher his hands rode up her leg. Maybe content wasn't the right word.

He seemed to be in no rush at all, and in that moment, Olivia was thankful for it. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of his hands on her skin. It was already much warmer in the small room than it had been a few minutes ago. Needing a connection of her own, Olivia leaned down to kiss Fitz in the same lazy manner that his large hands were moving on her skin. Her tongue slithered into his mouth to taste and savor. The grinding of her hips against his hardening length was automatic. Her body was trying to tell her to hurry the hell up and connect in another way. A way it desperately needed and yearned for.

Fitz brought a hand up, pushing her fallen hair out of the way of their hungry mouths while his other one lazily slid around to her butt, giving it a squeeze. He couldn't get close enough to her, even though she was literally on top of him. Holding her in place, with a hand still on her shapely ass, Fitz used the other one to push against the mattress, bringing both of them into a sitting position. One they were upright he used his hand on her ass to roughly pull her pelvis against his. The need to be inside of her was all consuming.

The kiss immediately deepened, and became rushed. Heated. Frenzied.

Tiny fingernails dug into his back, trying to hold on and keep him close. Or was she trying to send him a signal that she was aching for their bodies to join. Olivia knew it was a little bit of both, but her greedy side was exceedingly impatient as it always was. She quickly got to her feet right there on the bed and watched annoyance cover his face as he snapped his head back to see what she was doing.

Realization quickly replaced the annoyance when Fitz saw Olivia reach behind her back and unhook the clasp of her bra and toss the pink material somewhere behind him. His blue eyes zeroed in on her bare breasts and he kept a laser like focus on them. Olivia smiled at him, knowing that she didn't have his full attention. She slid her panties down and wiggled her hips, watching them hit the bed below her.

Fitz murmured, "thank you" before he threw one of her legs over his shoulder and began to feast on her.

Open mouth kisses, flicks of his gifted and anxious tongue, and vibrations from him humming had Olivia gripping his curls tightly and breathing heavily. "Fitz! Oh god...Please! Ahhhh...Right there, babe. Mmmmm..."

He didn't need her giving him directions on where to go or how to make her scream his name, but he listened just the same. He decided to take it up a level, and slowly slid a long thick finger, and then two inside of her wet heat.

Olivia had already been panting from her fiancé's magical mouth. The second she felt his fingers join the party, her face contorted with pleasure and she moaned his name while her body moved with the rhythm of them. "Fiiiiiiiitz"

Apparently, she was pretty happy with the direction he had decided to take her. Fitz smiled to himself when he heard Olivia say his name in that breathy need filled tone. He felt her leg shake and stopped what he was doing long enough to get her on her on her back and settled himself between her legs to resume his happy task.

In no time at all he had her writhing and wiggling, panting, moaning, and begging. Her hands were fisted tightly in the sheets, her big brown eyes were squeezed closed, and her head was pressed against the mattress. He had her right there, standing on the ledge, looking down at the bottomless unknown. And he had every intention of pushing her into it and watching her fall.

It just took a few more swipes of his tongue until Fitz had Olivia whimpering out his name. Her body tensed, she held her breath, and curled her toes as the feeling of flying took her over. Her chest heaved as she sucked in oxygen while trying to hold onto the blissful feeling for as long as possible. How he made her feel like this every single time was nothing short of magical.

Magic aside, Olivia was going to let her demands be known. He spoke up before she got the chance to.

"Hands and knees." Fitz murmured, as he got on his knees and started stroking himself.

Olivia propped herself up on her elbows and shot him a defiant look. He looked sexy and confident, and she squeezed her legs together to try to stifle the growing need throbbing at her core. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Much like his had been earlier, Olivia's eyes were focused on something other than his face. "What if I don't want that?" she asked in a challenging tone.

His hand stopped moving. He crawled up her body in a predatory fashion, with a serious look on his face. He was hovering over her with his hands beside her head. She wanted it, and they both knew it. She was practically vibrating with need underneath him.

One of his hands disappeared and a moment later Olivia felt Fitz rubbing himself against her opening. She purred at the sensation of it and tried to bring his face closer for a kiss.

"Uh uh" Fitz grunted. "Hands and knees first."

She chuckled at him and said, "kiss first!"

"You're not in the best position to be making demands." To prove his point, he dipped his head and brought one of her nipples into his mouth and began to suck.

Olivia inhaled sharply and her fingers made their way into the curls at the back of his head. "Youuuuu don't...oh god...play...mmmm...fair."

Keeping her nipple between his teeth, he lifted his head and grinned at her.

She pouted at him. It was hard to do at this precise moment because of how he was making her feel. "I just wanted a kiss."

That was his undoing. Fitz realized in that moment that he would be powerless against her pout. Not ready to contemplate it right now, his brain told him that Riley might have a pout of her own. Fitz knew that he would be really screwed if that was true. Shaking off thoughts of his daughter right now, he immediately released Olivia's nipple and his open mouth made a beeline for her lips.

He kissed her hungrily and with great fervor, trying not to fall onto her by keeping his weight on his arms. Her big chocolate eyes were closed and she was warm and ready for him. He hoped he always wanted her as much as he did right now. She made him feel things no one else ever had, and he planned to return the favor every chance he got.

Olivia responded by pulling on his hair, wrapping her legs around his waist, and sucking his bottom lip. Her body was screaming for more, but it wasn't his lips it wanted. She needed him inside of her right now! She broke the kiss, little by little, knowing his lips wouldn't be on hers for the next few minutes; she already missed them. "Fitz?"

Somehow, she made his name sound like a dirty little secret. Why was that such a turn on for him all of a sudden? And where was she taking her mouth? He wasn't done with it yet. Covering her mouth with his once again, in an attempt to restart the kissing, Fitz absentmindedly groaned out, "hmmm?"

"I can't wait anymore. I've got to have you now." He needed to get his mouth away from hers.

"But..." If she would just keep her damned head still.

"Don't you want mine in the air?"

He stilled immediately and he looked down at her. The lust was clearly written all over his face. "That might be the sexiest thing you've ever said to me."

She chuckled at him again. "Help me up?"

Fitz grabbed her hand and pulled, watching her naked little form get onto her knees, facing him. He moved closer to her and brushed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He then leaned closer to her and whispered into her ear, "I'm going to turn you around and you're going to take it."

The only sound that could be heard was the engines of the jet. Until Olivia replied in an urgent tone, "hurry!"

He decided they would fly a lot more often from now on! Putting his hands on her hips, Fitz turned her body until she was facing the same way he was. He placed his large palm on the center of her back and gently pushed her over until she landed on her hands. No time was wasted before he lined himself up with her opening and thrust himself all the way inside of her. "Fuuuuuuck!" he moaned and threw his head back.

"Ohmygod!" she whimpered and grabbed two fistfuls of the sheets.

Fitz gripped her hips firmly and began moving his hips in a steady rhythm. "You feel amazing."

"Somuchbetter" she gushed as her head dropped heavily to the pillow in front of her.

He stilled again. "I'm sorry. Was that English?"

Olivia lifted her head and barked out one order. "Do not stop!"

He quickly thrust his hips forward once just to hear her suck in her breath and groan it out. "I am so deep inside of you right now. Are you okay?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Faster and harder, Fitz."

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" he asked with a grin. Gripping her hips tighter he began to give her faster and harder. The sounds of their skin slapping against each other mixed with lusty moans, heavy breathing and countless declarations of love filled the room.

He knew she was close to her peak, and reached around her hip to her bundle of nerves. Fitz began to play her body with ease. It responded perfectly and she came undone, screaming his name loudly before her head hit the pillow heavily once again. With a few more thrusts he followed after her with a loud grunt. He crumpled beside her breathing heavily.

Turning her head in his direction, Olivia said, "That wasn't too loud, right?"

Fit chuckled lightly and patted her ass. "Everyone on this plane heard that well satisfied scream, Livvie."

She covered her face with her hands, completely mortified and said, "we can never fly again."

"No, no, no! We're selling the cars and flying everywhere from now on!" Fitz informed her with a smirk as he pulled a pillow under his head.

"It was pretty damned fantastic!" Olivia told him as she scooted closer and looked down at him.

"It really was." Fitz assured her. "I can't believe you're gonna marry me and we can do that every night."

"We pretty much already do that every night."

"Yea, but once you marry me it will be legal."

She crossed her feet at the ankles and laughed at him. "You're crazy."

"I'm your crazy."

"You are." Olivia agreed, already dipping her head closer to him. "Thanks for making me a member of the Mile High Club."

"I'm gonna say this all the time, so pay attention. Anytime!" Fitz softly swiped his thumb across her bottom lip. "I love you, Livvie." He told her before lifting his head and brushing his lips cross hers.

The plane arrived in Los Angeles without so much as a hiccup of turbulence. Not that Fitz or Olivia would have known even if it had. Both of them had passed out after their enthusiastic work out in the bed.

A calming yet deep voice had woken the dozing pair when the plane neared LAX. It was the Captain with some information for his sleepy passengers. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. We will be landing in Los Angeles in approximately fifteen minutes. The current temperature is a little on the warm side at eighty four degrees under clear skies. Time wise, it is currently twelve forty-seven so we should be landing a little after one.

The weather in California had been practically identical as what they had just left in Florida. Local time might be one in the afternoon but Riley reminded her mother rather quickly that she was operating on East Coast time, and in her opinion, it was time for lunch. Olivia waited until she and Fitz had disembarked before making her hunger known. "Babe?"

Fitz was absentmindedly leading them towards baggage claim to get their suitcases. "Hmmm?"

"Your daughter wants something to eat soon."

That got his attention. He stopped walking and touched his fiancé's belly, smiling when he felt Riley kick against it. "As soon as we get the bags, we'll get something to eat. Is there anything in particular you are in the mood for today?"

Olivia thought about that question for a minute and gave a nonchalant shrug. "This is your town. You choose."

"I know just the place."

"I really need shower first though. Is your house far from the restaurant?"

Had a feeling she would request a shower before going anywhere else. Fitz liked knowing that he knew her so well already. Sliding his arm around her neck he pressed his lips to her temple. He couldn't wait to paint the town red with her. It's not far at all. Buuuut I happen to have something on me that I know you love, and is very satisfying." he replied with that crooked little smile.

"Don't even try that." She chuckled and took his hand. "Come on, before we get kicked out of the airport."

The two of them reached the baggage claim area and waited for their suitcases to appear on the carousel. Fitz grabbed the handles, lifting them off the spinning contraption, and led the way outside where they got into a waiting cab. "Where to?" the driver asked in a bored tone.

Fitz gave him an address and the driver took off.

Olivia looked out the window from the back seat the entire ride to Fitz's house in Los Angeles. When the driver came to a stop Fitz tapped on her shoulder and pointed out his window. Ducking her head a little to get a better view, Olivia saw a gorgeous modern looking house with lots of windows. She could see straight into the dining and living rooms. No curtains or blinds. It was kind of weird. "That's your house?"

"No, that's _our_ house." he corrected, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Olivia cut her eyes up to his sparkling blue ones. "Are you expecting me to sleep here this weekend?"

"Uh huh. Why do you ask?"

"Because there isn't anything covering the windows."

"Yea. And?"

"And I'm not comfortable showing my ass to strangers, Fitz."

"You didn't have a problem showing your ass to that plane that zoomed by ours a few hours ago." he fired back.

Olivia's eyes practically bulged out of her head. She opened the door on her side of the car and quickly got out without saying a word. No sooner had the door closed than Fitz burst into laughter. He couldn't help it. He fished his wallet out of his back pocket and handed the cab driver a large bill. "Keep the change."

"You realize that you're going to be buying curtains tonight, right man?" the cabbie asked.

"If I expect her to still marry me next month then yea. I know."

"Have a good one, bro. And good luck with that."

Fitz grabbed both bags and pulled them towards the front door of his curtainless house. "Wait up, Liv. I was just kidding. You know that right?"

"I can't believe you said that in front of the cab driver." Olivia said shaking her head. "I just need to take a quick shower. Are there curtains on the bathroom windows or do I just strip naked and hose off in the backyard while broadcasting it on Facebook Live?"

Maybe it was having the hometown advantage? Maybe it was that he was still reeling from the mind blowing sex on the plane? Or that Fitz was just happy to have her here with him. He was in a funny mood, so he went with it as he unlocked the door. "The shower is glass and it's in the upper corner of the house. Everyone on the street can see anyone in the shower."

She saw how it was gonna be with him right now. She could play his little game. She leaned a little closer, got in his neck, and ran her tongue up the column of it, watching as his pulse beat a little quicker. "In that case, maybe you could call the pilot and ask him if he wants to swing by?" She walked past him into the house wearing a grin.

Fitz stood there shaking his head back and forth. He was buying curtains tonight. Hell, he'd sell the house tonight. "Liiiiiiv? We're not doing that!"

She felt so much better after getting out of the shower. Of course, she had to lock the door behind her and double check to make sure the damned thing wasn't really in the corner of the house encased in glass like her fiancé had claimed. Then, and only then, had she unlocked the door and let him into the bathroom. That led to a quickie in the shower filled with laughter and watery apologies, as well as heavy breathing and promises to buy window treatments. She supposed she might have over reacted.

They left the house a half hour later. Fitz had to promise that they weren't going anywhere fancy for dinner and that a sundress was absolutely appropriate attire. Olivia passed on the curtains, but made him promise they could walk on the beach after they ate. He would give her the world if she wanted it. A walk on the beach was a piece of cake.

An uber pulled up in front of his house and the two of them got inside.

"L' Antica Pizzeria da Michele, please" Fitz told him.

"Someone has been there before."

"MmmHmm."

"Pizza though?" Olivia asked. "We can get that in Florida. We eat it like once a week."

"It's not as good as theirs." he informed her.

Olivia's eyes fell to her belly and her hand came to rest on her bump. "Your daughter is very excited about this idea."

His proud grin was automatic as he kissed Olivia's temple and said, "that's my girl."

The driver pulled up in front of a plain looking building. It made Olivia wonder if they were actually at the restaurant or if Fitz was screwing with her. After getting out, he reached a hand side which Olivia took. Apparently, they had arrived at their destination.

The heavenly smell of baking bread and spicy sauce was everywhere all at once. Olivia's mouth immediately salivated, anticipating the first bite already. She had no idea what was on the menu or what she wanted to eat yet; they hadn't even reached their table to be seated, but it was taking too long already. She wanted whatever was cooking right now.

They were seated in an open outdoor area surrounded by beautiful greenery and a lot of people in various stages of their own meals. Olivia took in their surroundings as they waited. The place was packed and conversations and laughter were going on all around them.

"What do you want to try?" Fitz asked Olivia, bringing her back to their table.

"Everything smells delicious." She looked down at the menu in front of her. "You choose. I'm so hungry it really doesn't matter. Our daughter has no patience!"

"Good to know I'll be dealing with two impatient females soon enough." Fitz muttered with his eyes on his menu.

Olivia lowered her menu and tilted her head slightly. "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Hello. My name is Lori and I'll be your server today. What can I get both of you to drink?"

"Lori, your timing is perfection. Keep it up and there's a one hundred dollar tip for you when we are done." Fitz said, giving his best charming smile.

"Challenge accepted." Lori chirped.

Olivia shook her head with a grin and said, "I'll have water please."

"And I'll have a beer."

"Do the two of you want any appetizers?" Lori asked.

Now Liv spoke up. "Lori, if you can bring an appetizer of any kind to this table in under two minutes, I will personally give you a twenty dollar bill."

Rubbing her belly, Olivia added, "This little one is super hungry right now."

"I can tell that this is gonna be a fun table. Let me go see what I can do." She winked and added, "be right back."

Olivia set timer on her phone and then glanced over at Fitz. He was scowling at her. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You are my problem."

"Care to elaborate?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"I think you're trying to steal my waitress."

"I think Los Angeles makes you cranky." she threw back at him.

"You just haaaaaaaaad to..."

"Here we are!" Lori announced with great flourish, and set a plate on the table.

Fitz leaned closer and squinted. "What is that?"

"Ohmygosh this is amazing!" Olivia said to no one in particular as she popped the hot and tasty food into her mouth.

"It's zucchini with some kind of cheese..." Olivia flicked her eyes up to Lori as she continued to chew unapologetically.

"Ricotta." Lori supplied with a grin. "Under two minutes too."

"Sooo yummy!" Olivia praised and discreetly handed the proud waitress the promised bill. "Thank you! If we didn't already have a name picked out for our daughter, we'd totally name her Lori."

The delighted waitress chuckled and took their order before disappearing once again. "Good choice for lunch, babe!" Olivia praised.

"I can't wait to show you what I have planned for later." he said smugly as he watched her eat the disgusting looking shit on the plate in the center of the table.

Olivia froze. "Wait! You promised me a walk on the beach. You're not backing out are you, Fitz?"

"Of course not. Eat your zucchini please and stop stressing."

She held his hand on the table and in a much lower volume said, "and after our walk we can take a bubble bath together."

"Remind me to buy bubble bath while we're out."

"What? You don't have any in that sexy curtain free modern man cave? I can't believe that!" she mocked.

He gave her a lopsided grin and raised eyebrows to go with his sarcasm. "We can always go back to your suggestion of me doing a Facebook live while you hose off in the backyard."

Olivia ignored him and asked, "what are we doing tomorrow?"

"What would you say to go to DisneyLand?" Fitz figured it was better to ask about this one, in case she didn't want to go. He was secretly hoping she would want to. He was dying to buy her some Mickey ears. Or Minnie. Or...whatever the hell she wanted.

"Are you kidding?" she almost shrieked. "Yes!"

"Really? It's a lot of walking for a pregnant woman. Did you bring appropriate shoes for lots of walking?"

"If I didn't, I'll bet there are places around here that sell them." She replied sassily, and popped the last bite of zucchini into her mouth. "I've never been to DisneyLand."

"Well, yea, probably because it's in California."

"I've never been to DisneyWorld either."

"What? We practically live in Mickey's backyard, Liv! How is that possible?"

"I haven't lived in Mickey's backyard long, for one. And two, who has the time? I've been busy wooing a businessman and getting him to marry me. Priorities." She was grinning at him now, and was pleased to see him grin back.

"You're a hell of a wooer, babe." Fitz said, kissing her knuckles.

"While we're on the subject, who is your favorite Disney character? Mine is Winnie the Pooh."

"Mine is Mickey. Naturally." Fitz stated confidently.

Her nose crinkled. "Really? Mickey? Don't you think he's a little overrated?"

"Alright then. Here's your food. I'm so sorry about the wait." Lori announced, setting down plates in front of them.

Fitz grinned at Olivia and then flicked his baby blues over to their waitress. "Like I said, perfect timing."

"Really?" she asked doubtfully.

"You have no idea how many...We'll call them serious discussions, you've saved me from since we got here."

Olivia chuckled. "Everything looks amazing. Thank you so much."

"Let me know if there's anything you need. Enjoy." Lori told them with a smile, and left once again.

Before leaving with full satisfied bellies, Fitz gave Lori her crisp one hundred dollar bill as promised. Both he and Olivia heaped nothing but praise on the young woman and thanked her for making their first visit to the restaurant as a couple a fond memory.

Thirty minutes later, a cab pulled up in the parking lot at the Santa Monica Pier. Fitz paid the driver and he and Liv stepped out of the car and headed toward the warm golden sand. "This is beautiful. I've seen this place on tv shows or in pictures online. It really is a cool thing to behold with the ocean behind it. Are we going up there after our walk?"

"If you want. Maybe we could get a funnel cake or some cotton candy. What do you think?"

"That sounds good to me. But first, let's take a walk." She had slid her sandals off her feet and had them draping at her side from her index finger.

When the two of them got closer to the water, Olivia stopped and closed her eyes. The salty air was whipping her hair all around her face. The sun was warm on her skin, as was the sand below her feet. The waves crashed repeatedly, sounding strong and majestic. It was the most peaceful she had felt in a really long time. No one would ever be able to tell her there was a better place to be on Earth than at the beach.

To be continued...

**Sorry for the super long chapter. I didn't know where to end it! The bubble bath will get covered in the next chapter. After everything these 2 have been through, they deserve a long relaxing weekend together & I wanted to cover it all. I hope you are all staying safe. Take care. Until next time...**


	26. Los Angeles

**Los Angeles**

Olivia stretched like a lazy cat. She had just woken up, and it was early. Too early from the lack of light coming in the windows of Fitz's bedroom. As a yawn escaped her mouth, she wondered what time it was. Hitting the home button on her phone, the display read four sixteen. She groaned and set it back on the nightstand. This jet lag was going to be the death of her. Her body would just get used to this time zone by tomorrow, when she and Fitz would be returning to Florida. And then she'd have to fight with her body to get settled on East Coast time again. It was a pain in the ass, but also a small price to pay for this much needed time away with Fitz.

They had enjoyed their walk on the beach together the night before, holding hands. They had talked about everything and took their time walking barefoot on the cool wet sand as the warm water repeatedly tried to lap their feet. Their family, friends, jobs, the wedding, Riley, and even Collin were all things they discussed openly. The ease with which they discussed any and everything felt healing somehow. A walk on the beach with Fitz was as helpful in Olivia's mind as a therapist's couch.

Once they had turned around to head back to where they started, the two of them climbed up the wooden and weather beaten steps that led to the pier. Olivia's eyes took in everything there was to see, before she requested a funnel cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. They stood in line, holding hands and cuddling while they waited. They pinched off pieces of the deep fried sugar coated dough and ate it as they made their way back towards the parking lot.

Fitz made sure that they were back at his house long before bedtime. They had their bath together and talked some more about whatever came to mind. After assuring Fitz that she would not sleep in his house without body covering pajamas, a pair was provided and she put them on. They watched one episode of a tv show they had been binging, and went to bed. There was no sex, but the two of them were glued to each other under the high thread count sheet. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

She smiled in the dark room and turned her head in the direction the soft snoring was coming from. The blue eyed wonder himself was passed out face down beside her. At least, that was how he had fallen asleep last night. Damn him for being able to sleep on his stomach too. She was jealous. It would be a while before she would be able to comfortably do that again. Even though the room was dark, Olivia knew exactly what he looked like. Fitz was adorable while unconscious in sleep. His curls were messy and resting on a pillow with his hand tucked up underneath it. He didn't have a single worry line on his forehead or a single stitch of clothing on either, and he was completely at peace.

Olivia was at peace too even though she was currently awake. She might not have the luxury of sleeping on her belly just yet, but Olivia had slept all night long without a single nightmare. Instead of awaking with the feeling of fatigue and moodiness, she felt energized and refreshed. It was truly amazing what a full night's sleep did for the body. Especially a body housing a tiny human. Olivia ran a hand over her growing stomach and smiled when she felt nothing going on inside. Riley was usually an active little thing, but she was not a morning person. It was something Olivia loved knowing that the two of them already had in common.

She tried closing her eyes and going back to sleep, but it was impossible. Deciding to get up and make some coffee, Olivia slowly and carefully got out of bed so she wouldn't wake up Fitz. The chill from the hard wood floor felt good on her bare feet and she made a beeline for the bathroom before heading into the kitchen.

When she walked into the kitchen, she turned on a light to see where everything was at. She didn't really have the time to scope out the house when they had arrived from the airport the previous day, and then when they had gotten home from their walk, she didn't have the inclination to do so. Now though, Olivia saw that the house was less freaky and more beautiful.

Fitz's house was still a glass box, and Olivia felt like if the sun was up, the neighbors would probably be watching them right now instead of the news. That thought brought a giggle from her and she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. It was most likely nothing more than self conscious thinking. No one living within a ten mile radius probably cared what went on inside the pretty glass box on Cedar Street.

Running a finger across the smooth marble kitchen counter, Olivia looked around the beautiful kitchen. His house was modern and sleek and she could easily picture businessman Fitz coming home after a long day at the office. He'd probably grab the mail before coming inside and locking the door behind him. He'd immediately shrug out of his suit jacket and it would get draped over the closest chair on his way to the fridge to grab a beer. She could picture Fitz loosening his tie, intending to leave it around his neck, before changing his mind and removing it altogether and opening the top button or two at his collar.

He'd open the door of the refrigerator and absentmindedly grab a bottle of beer. After twisting off the cap and taking a long pull of the chilled beverage Fitz would most likely set the bottle down the counter and start opening the tiny buttons at his wrists, and then proceed to roll up his sleeves.

Why was that such a hot mental picture right now, she wondered?

She pictured him wandering into the living room where he'd sit down in front of the tv, intending to watch the highlights of the news, but he'd have to force himself to get busy with the work he'd brought home a half hour later. That was when he'd get himself settled in for the night while looking over files and deals and acquisitions. Whatever the hell it was that he did. He'd probably have a pen between his teeth as he read, making changes whenever necessary. She bet he looked sexy doing so too.

She turned her head in the direction of his bedroom. Why wasn't he awake right now to indulge her sexual fantasies?

Back in the kitchen, Olivia pressed a button to start the coffee and dashed back upstairs. He had unintentionally gotten her mind in a gutter where the scenery was very sexy. She had to have him. If he wasn't wake, she'd just have to get creative with that.

He groaned. His brain felt dizzy. Light. Like he was floating on a cloud high above everything. Something was constantly trying to pull him back down toward Earth, but he resisted. He wanted to stay in the blissful calm, the awesome weightless feeling. He never wanted to leave.

The pulling sensation was back. He squinted in sleep and tried to evade its greedy grasp, but was unsuccessful. Just a few more minutes! "Please!" He begged. But it was to no avail.

Fitz's eyes flew open wide and his mind immediately accessed the situation. He was in his bed. The beautiful weightless feeling was compliments of Olivia working him over with her mouth. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and act like he was still asleep. To slip back into that light dizzy feeling. It felt too damn good and the idea of playing possum evaporated on a soft groan. "Livvie?" he choked out her name as she continued.

"Mmmm?" was her response.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She doubled her efforts, now that he was fully awake and felt him tense. He had stopped talking too, which was great. She really wasn't in a position to answer his questions right now. She had gotten the upper hand on him and surprised him in the glass box. He groaned with pleasure. She was feeling powerful and invincible when his voice broke through the quiet space.

"Fuuuuck, Liv. Stop. You...don't..." he inhaled sharply. "You...Mmmm...I'm gonna...Stop, stop, stop!"

But he didn't mean stop. In fact, he meant the very opposite of the word, because his large hand covered the back of her head and kept it in place as he panted wildly and swore beautiful words mixed in with declarations of love before exploding into her mouth. He flung his large frame backwards onto his pillow as he sucked in oxygen and his chest heaved.

Olivia crawled up beside him on the pillow she had slept on once his body stilled. She peppered little kisses on his chest, making her way up along his jaw. "Sorry. I couldn't really talk. But to answer your question, I was waking you up."

He was still breathing heavily, but it was starting to even out some. "Don't be sorry! I thought I was dreaming...or, or floating. I dunno. Something! But I was definitely not expecting that. What on Earth possessed you to wake me up like that? I'd like to know for future reference."

She chuckled into his neck. "You're crazy. I woke up an hour ago. Jet lag. I went downstairs to make coffee and took a look around your house."

"Yea. And?"

"And I pictured you coming home after a day at the office and...I don't know." Why was she starting to feel shy now?

"Tell me." He gently prompted her. "I want to know."

"It seems silly to me all of a sudden."

"Now I definitely want to know. Please tell me."

"Well...I imagined you coming home, taking off your suit jacket, grabbing a beer, and plopping down to do more work for a while. It was...kinda sexy."

"That's a pretty accurate assessment of my life when I lived here." Fitz chuckled. "I'm glad my typical Thursday nights here seemed sexy to you. It was a hell of a way to wake up out of a dead sleep."

She grinned and the feeling of feminine power surged within her.

"Did you say there's coffee?" He had the feeling she was pretty damned proud of herself right now.

"MmmHmm. You want some? We have a big day today. Lots of walking. Since we're up, maybe we could get ready, go grab some breakfast, and hit the park when it opens. Just an idea."

He sat up and pulled her onto his lap. "You're full of good ideas this morning, aren't you?" Fitz brushed his lips against hers, letting them linger there.

"Mmmm, love you." she murmured, and pulled him close for a warm hug.

"Love you too, Livvie, but we can't do that."

"Why not?" she pouted.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Can't tell you."

*******************  
It was a beautiful sunny day to visit DisneyLand. The second they were on Main Street Fitz took her by the hand and led her into the first store he saw. He was on a mission.

"What could you possibly need to buy, Fitz? We just got here!" Olivia tugged on his arm, but he wasn't budging. "Come onnnn! I wanna ride some rides!"

"One minute. I'm looking forrrrrrrr...There they are!" He reached his hand over a kid and plucked the item he was looking for. "Mickey ears! Everybody needs a pair."

He tried to knock the cute hat sitting on top of her head off, and replace it with the ears, but she ducked and moved quickly out of his reach, avoiding them. "Whaddya doin', Livvie? Come on!"

"I don't want those. I want Winnie the Pooh ears." She replied stubbornly.

"Do you know how hard it will be to find Winnie the Pooh ears here?" he asked sarcastically.

"It shouldn't be too difficult. This is DisneyLand after all."

"Be reasonable! Mickey ears are better!"

"No way!"

"You guys are cute." A woman inside the store told them with a smile. "I'm not a Mickey fan either. Goofy is my guy. I just wanted to let you know that the Pooh stuff is over by the register. I wasn't eavesdropping. There are just not many of us in here right now so it's kind of impossible not to hear your conversation."

"Don't worry about it." Olivia told her. "Thank you for the help with the ears! Goofy is my guy too, as you can see." The two women giggled as they watched Fitz trying on different hats and making faces at himself in the mirror.

They went into Tomorrow Land and made their way to the Buz Lightyear ride. "Ooooh! Who is the big space guy?"

"You're kidding me, right?" Fitz said pointing at Buzz. "You know who this is."

"No idea. But the ride looks fun."

"Buzz Lightyear. From Toy Story?" he tried.

"Oh, yea." she sang. "The one where Randy's toys come to life or something like that? I've never seen any of the movies though."

Fitz stopped walking, causing the person behind them to bump into his back. "Hey!"

"Sorry." Fitz muttered. The man walked around them scowling and Fitz turned his attention back to Olivia. "It's Andy! And what did you just say?"

She shrugged wondering what the big deal was? "I've never seen Toy Story."

"None of them?"

"Mmmm nope."

"Who raised you?"

Olivia dramatically rolled her eyes at him.

"Look, we're going to have a daughter soon."

"I'm well aware of that." she chuckled, and put a hand on her belly.

"And she needs to know who Buzz Lightyear is! And Woody! And Rex! And Slinky dog! All of them!"

"Oh kay. We'll watch one when we get home."

"We'll watch one tonight."

"Not tonight." Olivia firmly shot back.

"Why not tonight?"

"We have plans."

"We..." Fitz quickly thought about the itinerary. "No we don't."

Olivia propped a hand on her hip and shot him a look of impatience. "We do. Trust me. But if you keep giving me a hard time, I'll gladly put the plans that I have for you on eternal hold. You won't like that because they are your favorite kind of plans."

"She's talking about sex, man." A man passing by muttered.

Fitz narrowed his gaze on his fiancé. Lowering his voice to barely a whisper he asked, "are you talking about sex?"

She raised her eyebrows and nodded. She heard him mutter 'shit' under his breath before she broke out into laughter. "It's fine. I promise we will watch however many of them there are...?"

"Four."

"Four?! Greedy mouse!" Olivia said rolling her eyes. "Fine. We will watch all four movies before Riley gets here so I will be well versed on Toy Story. Now, can I enjoy the ride before you make DisneyLand a place I hate to come?"

"Poor bastard, doesn't have kids yet and he's getting reamed by the wife at the happiest place on Earth. My ass." Another man said, followed by, "coming honey."

"Truce?" Fitz asked sweetly. There was no way he was ending up like _that_ guy!

"Truce." Olivia echoed. "Now gimme a kiss before we go ride our first ride please."

Forty minutes later, Olivia was begging, "one more time! Pleeeeeease? I almost shot more blurgs that time."

Fitz chuckled. "Zurgs. And no. Liv! Come on! We rode it twice already! Let's go ride something else."

"Okay, but if we have time before we leave, can we come back and ride it once more?"

Fitz thought she was the cutest when she pouted. It was the reason why he oftentimes drove her to it, and today was no exception. He knew from experience that she would not feel like walking all the way back over here just to ride it later. They rode several rides and got something cold and fizzy to dink out of souvenir cups. He glanced at his watch and grinned to himself. He took her hand and jerked his head in the oppose direction than the one they were walking. "Come on."

"Where are we going" Olivia asked.

"You'll see." Was all he said.

Olivia knew Fitz was known for his surprises so she didn't try to figure out what he was up to, but let him lead her. They walked all the way back to the entrance of Tomorrow Land at the end of Main Street. She looked up just in time to see a sign that read Plaza Inn before the two of them went inside. She knew better than to even ask him what was going on and held his hand tighter as he led the way.

The smell of cooking breakfast food had Olivia's stomach rumbling and Riley moving around. "Please tell me we are eating here" she muttered.

They walked up to a young man behind a podium and Fitz said, "reservations for two. Last name Grant."

"You're our hero right now." Olivia told him and put a hand on her belly.

Fitz chuckled and kissed her temple. He was given a ticket with his name on it and a seating arrangement and told to go inside. He pulled something from his back pocket at the same time Olivia squealed loudly.

"Ohmygosh! That's Minnie! Fitz! Minnie! She's right there!"

"Someone is very excited."

"Someone is very thoughtful. Will you take a picture of me with Minnie?"

"Of course." He replied with a grin. If she was this excited about Minnie, Fitz couldn't wait to see Olivia's reaction when Pooh bear came out during brunch. He snapped a picture using her phone and watched Minnie touch Olivia's belly and then clap excitedly. Fit held out the item he'd kept in his back pocket along with a sharpie. "Would you sign this for our daughter please, Minnie?"

"What is that?" Olivia asked.

"It's a sun hat I bought for Riley. For our walks on the beach as a family. I thought we could see how many signatures we could get on it today."

Olivia chuckled, but it was a watery one as tears flowed down her face and she tried to wipe them away. "That's the sweetest thing I've ever seen daddy Fitz do."

Minnie signed the tiny yellow hat and handed it and the marker back to Fitz. He and Olivia went inside and immediately paid at the register for their meals. Olivia took a complimentary Minnie Mouse button and proudly pinned it to her shirt. They found their seats at a table in the center of the room. He'd paid extra for that and knew it would be well worth it when the golden yellow bear came out.

After making introductions to the other people at their table, the little group got up together and wandered over to the buffet line. The buffet offered Mickey waffles, French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, fresh baked pastries and breads, fresh fruits, hot and cold cereals, and made to order omelets. When she got close, Olivia giddily exclaimed, "Fitz! There are waffles with Mickey's face on them! How cute are those? I'm getting two. Oh! And some fruit! Ooooh, and a pastry. It all looks so good."

He was thoroughly enjoying Olivia's first time Disney excitement, and made a mental note to find a Mickey waffle maker online for their house. He was nailing this husband thing, and he hadn't even become one yet.

They carried their food laden plates back to their table and began eating ravenously. Everything tasted so good. There was lust filled murmurs of approval between bites and the conversation was light.

Somewhere in the middle of the meal Olivia glanced around the room and froze. She began tapping Fitz on the shoulder and mumbling, "ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! Look! Over there! Are you seeing that?"

"The guy in the yellow shirt and blue shorts? Yea, it's definitely a..."

"Not that!" she hissed. "Winnie the Pooh is in here!"

"Oh him." He shrugged. "I know."

"You knew he'd be here?"

"Well, it's hard to find the bear wandering around the park, but he's your favorite. So, I made reservations for brunch so you could meet him and get a photo. Feeding you was a nice little bonus."

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "You're the best!"

"I keep trying to tell you that." he teased.

The big bear wandered over to their table a few minutes later, and Olivia hugged him and took several pictures with him. Fitz got him to sign Riley's little hat too, as well as all of the other characters at the breakfast.

The two of them walked hand in hand back into the park after their food was gone and they had spent a little time with each character in attendance. "What do you want to do now?" Fitz asked.

"Honestly?" When he nodded, she said, "I want to lay down somewhere. I'm full and tired. We've been here for most of the morning and you promised to take me shopping while we're in California. I'm going to need a nap before that happens. All this walking has wiped me out."

"Ok, back to the house for a short nap, then dinner, then shopping, then our plans. Does that work for you?"

She nodded as she yawned.

She sank like a stone into sleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Waking up, the light was too bright shining in through the stupid windows. He really needed to buy something to cover them.

"Look who decided to join the land of the living." Fitz had taken a little cat nap but then woke up and began checking work emails while she continued to sleep. The moment her eyes opened he closed his laptop and set it on the floor.

Olivia was feeling infinitely better. A smile covered her face and she asked in a flirty voice, "Is this a friendly land?"

He rolled over, covering her body with his. She was warm, rested, and very happy. Grinning down at her his thumbs brushed across her cheek. His tongue poked out from between his lips as his hands started to roam her body. "Very friendly."

She kissed him enthusiastically, sucking on his tongue. The kiss was getting steamy, and as much as she wanted to stay right there in bed with him and enjoy what they were doing to each other, they had plans. "We have to stop." she whispered when his head dipped into her neck. She would lose all will power if he stayed in her neck much longer.

"Do we though?" he asked, licking her neck.

She held onto his cheeks and brought his face back to hers. Chuckling, she said, "yes. We do."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do, Livvie?" he asked in a sexy voice.

"No" she said, answering him honestly. She saw his proud grin turn into a smirk before she pointed a finger at him. "But it's what we need to do. After shopping and dinner, I'm all yours."

Fitz knew he could get her to change her mind right now, if he wanted to. She wouldn't put up much of a fight either. But he wanted this trip to be memorable for her, and he had promised shopping. Dipping his head once more, he kissed her thoroughly before getting to his feet and walking away. It was difficult to do, but later wasn't that far away.

As promised, he took Olivia to get a manicure and pedicure. He watched her select a light pink nail polish color and stood by while she got pampered. She was happy, and that made him happy.

He took her into whichever stores she wanted to visit, and looked through the racks of clothing with her. When it came time for her to try things on, he sat in a padded chair in the waiting room while she put on a mini fashion show for him. She chose a few outfits to finish out her pregnancy, a few things to take to the hospital, and a super cute after baby outfit as a post pregnancy goal.

After dinner, they took a cab and all of the store bags back to the glass house. Everything was left on the kitchen counter and both of them dashed upstairs, eager to get into the bathtub. Fitz drew the water while Olivia riled through his dresser for a shirt to put on afterwards. "Liiiiiiiv? You coming?"

"Funny. I was gonna ask you the same thing." She replied seductively from the doorway. She was anxious to see if she could get that rush of feminine power back.

"Holy shit" he whispered. His eyes took her in from head to toe and a growl of appreciation rose from his throat. She was wearing one of his white dress shirts with only the very last button securely fastened. Even with her baby bump, the bottom edge of his shirt covered the parts his inquisitive blue eyes wanted to see most and anxiously darted to. He could see some major cleavage, but instead of satisfying him, it made him want to see much more. From his spot on the edge of the tub, Fitz gestured for her to turn around.

With a little smile, Olivia complied and slowly turned around. She was glad she'd taken the time to pin her hair up before coming into the bathroom. It was obvious from the look on his face that she wouldn't be in his shirt for very long. When her back was to him, she lifted the edge of the shirt to show him she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. She finished her spin and leaned on the door frame. His tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth. Mission accomplished.

"My shirts look much better on you than they do on me." he said, still eyeing her body.

Her smile grew even bigger. "Your imagination isn't as good as mine."

"You have no idea the dirty things I am thinking about right now that involve you and that shirt."

"I'll just remove the temptation then." Her hands went to the only button she had bothered with. She kept her chocolate eyes on his sparkling blue ones and easily slid the button from the buttonhole holding it in place. Fitz's eyes dropped to the middle of her thighs at the same time his white shirt dropped to the floor.

"Beautiful." He took a minute to appreciate her nude body before quickly removing his own clothes. He held out his hand in her direction and Olivia took it with a smile. The two of them stepped into the bubble filled tub and Olivia leaned her back against his chest. "This feels amazing. A bath was such a good idea."

"All of my ideas to get you naked are good ideas." he informed her.

She grabbed the dry green facecloth hanging over the side of the tub. After getting it wet, Olivia lathered it with his soap and dragged it across his long right leg followed by the left one. "This trip has been so relaxing. Thank you for everything."

"I've enjoyed it too. Having you all to myself without distractions of work or other people has been really nice. We needed some time together after everything. It's been nice to go at our own pace, instead of the one our jobs demand of us." He used a loofa to wash her arms and back while they talked. Eventually, his hands made their way around to her chest. The loofa was dropped into the bubble filled water, and Fitz began washing her breasts with his bare hands. He dipped his head and planted a kiss on her neck.

"Mmmm, you need to stop that right now." Olivia weakly told him and craned her neck to give him better access.

He nipped her earlobe lightly as his slick hands cupped her breasts. "Your mouth says one thing, but your body says something completely different. So, which is it, Livvie? Stop? Or more?"

"More. Always more." she whimpered.

"Your greedy side is so damn sexy, babe." His left hand disappeared under the water, and slid down to where her thighs met. He watched her legs open wide and press against the sides of the garden tub, leaving an exposed playground for his anxious fingers. He began softly rubbing little circles on her bundle of nerves as his mouth continued to lick, nibble, and kiss her neck. Fitz felt her melt like wax against his chest in no time.

What was he doing to her? Olivia felt like she was straddling a very thin wire between floating weightless in the water, and crashing into the dark depths. All she really knew for certain was that she never wanted him to stop what he was doing to her. The problem was, she just wasn't able to articulate that at the moment. She couldn't stop the whiney noises that were bubbling up from inside of her. She knew they sounded ridiculous, but it simply couldn't be helped.

"Someone really likes this." Fitz murmured against her ear. His fingers moved a little faster against her sensitive skin. The noncomprehending noises coming from his fiance was turning him on like nothing else. He was rock hard, and his engorged member was screaming for some attention of its own. "Let's see if I can make you scream my name."

"Fitz, Fitz, Fitz" Olivia chanted and gripped the sides of the tub.

He smiled behind her, knowing she was close, and whispered, "that's not screaming."

His hand was moving so fast, water began to splash. Olivia's hips began to move against his fingers, and the whimpering noises continued to spew out of her. She was holding her breath, trying to keep the inevitable orgasm at bay for as long as possible. It was no use though, and the air rushed out of her mouth before she quickly inhaled and screamed his name out like a plea. "Now that was screaming. It's time to get out of the tub. I need to hear that again."

He helped her step out of the bath tub and pulled the plug to let the soapy water drain. "Where's my towel?" she asked, looking around.

"No towels." Fitz told her. "I like you wet."

"But..."

"No buts either." He picked her up and set her on top of the bathroom counter before stepping in between her legs. Keeping his blue eyes locked onto her brown ones, Fitz grabbed his painfully hard length and lined it up with her entrance. In one swift motion, he pushed himself all the way inside of her. He watched her face contort with the pleasure of their joining. "You feel good, Liv."

She held onto his shoulders while her insides were happily stretched. Her reply was a pleasure laced groan.

Holding onto her hips for leverage, Fitz slowly withdrew himself from deep inside her warm walls and then, just as slowly, pushed back in. When he saw Olivia lean back on her hands his head automatically dipped to capture a nipple into his mouth. He sucked lazily while his hips moved in a similar fashion.

It was sensory overload for Olivia. The full feeling coupled with his hot tongue swirling around her nipple was driving her closer to climax. He wasn't in any rush for his own finish, but she could already feel the build up pulling towards the brink of sweet madness. "Fitz...I'm gonna...I'm...Ahhh...Ahhh..."

He gently bit down on her nipple, causing her to fall apart in his arms. He never gave her time to calm down, but began hammering into her with reckless abandon. "Mmmm...So good."

Olivia had a death grip on his shoulders now. He was thrusting like a mad man, and all she could do was hold onto him for the ride. A few moments later he grunted and stilled as his body emptied into hers. The air in the bathroom was hot now, but she pulled him close and held onto him as his ragged breathing steadied.

He grabbed the green face cloth from the now empty tub and wrung the water out of it before the two of them cleaned themselves up. He made sure to drop it into the clothes hamper before going back to Olivia.

"LA Fitz is sexy." Olivia told him.

"And Florida Fitz isn't?" He asked, as he lifted his head and shot her a look.

"Florida Fitz is a little more laid back. LA Fitz is all about taking care of business."

"I'll have to work on that." he said with a grin followed by a peck on her lips. He picked her up and carried her into his bedroom, depositing her on the bed.

"One thing I really love about Florida Fitz is that he keeps me stocked up on ice cream. LA Fitz hasn't even thought about that." She was having fun teasing him.

"LA Fitz has been too busy taking care of business to think about ice cream. Point for Florida Fitz."

She giggled and pulled him close under the sheet. "This has been a really great escape from the everyday, but I'm ready to go back to our lives. I'm ready to become your wife and have this baby girl of ours. I'm ready for my happily ever after."

"I couldn't have said it better myself. I love you, Livvie."

She yawned loudly. "Mmmm, nite."

_Thank you all for the positive feedback for the Disney chapter. You guys are always so encouraging. Shout out to Naja Fandal for the idea of character dining with Winnie the Pooh. And shout out to Ana for making the edit of Liv & Pooh._


	27. Girl's Trip

**Girl's Trip**

"Why aren't you more nervous? It's really weird that you're this calm."

"You'd feel better if I was a nervous wreck? That's good to know." Olivia joked.

"I'm just saying...you're getting married tomorrow night and you're as cool as a cucumber."

"Are cucumbers cool, Abs?"

"It's weird" the redhead reiterated. "You are being very un Olivia Pope-ish."

Olivia shook her head back and forth slightly. "That's because I'm about to become Olivia Grant, bitch."

"I don't know what's come over you but I reallllly like it." Abby heard the pause over the phone and felt sure that Olivia was about to explain. "If you are about to share gross sexual details, I don't want to know!"

"Fine. What is on the agenda today?"

"Well, if you hadn't gotten yourself knocked up, we could have really enjoyed your bachelorette with booze and inappropriate behavior."

"What does that leave us with?"

"I feel like this is going to be super boring and that you are going to hate it."

Olivia chuckled. "What is it?"

"If you don't want to do this, just tell me and we'll figure out something else to do."

"What did you plan?"

"Just...be honest with me."

"Abby? I can't tell you what I think of it until I know exactly what it is that you've planned. You get that, right?"

"Yea. Okay. So, we are going to a beach side resort and getting some spa time. Just let me tell you what is involved before you shoot it down. We are going to get massages, manicures and pedicures for the wedding, and we are staying in the cutest place on the beach. Tomorrow morning, we'll head to your house to get ready for the big show." Abby grimaced. "What do you think?"

"It sounds heavenly and I love it. Thank you for thinking of the very best way to get me as relaxed as possible before I walk down the aisle, Abs. You're the best. I just have one question."

"We're not doing strippers, Liv. Jeez!"

"Funny. But that's not what I was going to ask. When do we leave?"

"Oh! We leave as soon as you get a bag packed." Abby informed her. "One more thing."

"Jeez with the one more thing. What else could there possibly be, Abs?"

"I'm bringing Quinn too. I hope that's okay because she's more like..."

"Family! Yes! Awwww, I love that you asked her to come with us. We don't have enough friends our own age. It'll be fun."

"I'm glad you feel that way. We'll be there to pick you up in thirty. Be ready. And please have already said your sappy goodbyes to the groom."

Olivia chuckled, ended the call, and went to find Fitz in the house. "Babe?"

"Back here!" he called.

She followed his voice and found him in the pink nursery. He was sitting in the rocking chair quietly. She went to sit on his lap. "What are you doing in here all by yourself?"

"Thinking."

"About what?" she asked, and laid her head against his shoulder.

"About how one day some...guy is going to want to marry my daughter. And he'll take her away from us and we'll never see her again, Liv."

"Don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit?"

"No! She's not even here yet and I'm worried about her leaving us. I just want him to be a good guy. You know? Not some asshole who treats her badly, because I will beat...his...ass!"

"Okay. Let's calm down for a minute. We have to get through the next eighteen years first, right?"

"Yea. She's definitely NOT getting married until after high school."

"See. This is progress. So, we will have eighteen years, minimum with her before some punk ass bitch comes along and tries to take her away from us."

"It sounds kinda stupid when you say it like that." Fitz chuckled.

"It sounded stupid the way you said it too, babe." She assured him. "Riley will always be our baby first. We have to make those eighteen years count. Make them magical and full of great memories for her."

"And I'm going to show her exactly how she should be treated by a man, by treating you like a goddess."

"I _am_ a goddess."

"Damn straight, babe."

Olivia sat up on his lap and looked him in the eye. He was already the cutest daddy. She could hardly wait until their daughter was born in eight weeks. She held onto his cheeks and told him, "this baby is lucky to have you for her daddy. We are going to have an amazing life together."

He pecked her lips. "God, I can't wait to marry you tomorrow."

"Oh! That's the reason I came looking for you in the first place. I finally got the call from Abby."

His love sick expression turned into a doubting one in a flash. "What does she have planned for you?"

"We are going to spend the night at a spa."

"Wow! Nice one, Abby! I'm kinda surprised."

"Right?! We're getting our nails done for the wedding, we're getting massages, and relaxing together tonight. I think it's gonna be pretty nice. What does Stephen have planned for you two?"

"Well, I'm not pregnant. So, he's picking me up the second you are gone and we're hitting a strip club that promotes body shots."

"That's not even remotely funny, Fitzgerald." Olivia giggled and poked him in the ribs.

"We're going to dinner and coming back here to crash. Abby is supposed to text us when the two of you are headed back in the morning so we can get the hell out of here before you arrive. She's made it abundantly clear that the two of you will need the entire house to get ready for a fifteen minute ceremony. Something about breaking balls and...scary Abby shit."

"I'll miss you tonight. I don't like sleeping without you."

"It's one night." Fitz said with a smile, and rubbed his nose beside hers. "And then every night afterwards, we get to spend together. Doing legal sex stuff together."

"Oh my goodness! You are ridiculous!" Olivia said laughing at him.

"Can I call you at bedtime?" he asked softly in a serious tone.

"I'll be expecting that. Maybe I can get Abby to leave the room and we can have strip FaceTime?" Olivia suggested as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"I can't believe you're gonna be my wife tomorrow." Fitz said laughing and holding her tightly.

"There's no getting out of it now, Mister. I have to go pack a bag. You wanna help me?"

"Yea, I might as well. The sooner I get rid of the old ball and chain the sooner I can do body shots off Gloria's ass."

"That's enough about the body shots." Olivia advised.

"Sorry, babe." he replied repentantly.

The three women were on the open road in no time. The trip to the airport went by quickly with all of their giddy chatter as Abby drove. "You guys didn't have to invite me along, but I'm really glad you did. Thank you." Quinn told them.

"No problem. You're one of us now." Abby told her as she parked the car. "I'm really sorry you can't drink, Liv."

Olivia rubbed her baby bump as they got out of the car and began walking. "It's fine. I wouldn't even be getting married to the perfect man tomorrow if it wasn't for Riley, so I'm more than okay with it."

Abby abruptly stopped walking. She held out a hand in front of Olivia and said, "stop it! We are not spending the next eighteen hours talking about how perfect Fitz is. This is a bachelorette, not a Fitzgerald Grant cheer leading convention. Get a grip, Liv!"

Olivia chuckled, and quickly covered it with a stern look. "You're right. My bad. I'm so excited that we get to fly!"

"It was really nice of Fitz to let us use the company jet to save us from a five hour car ride."

"About that." Quinn began. "I've never flown before, so I'm kinda nervous."

"You carry a gun with the comfort most women do a tube of lipstick, but flying in a plane freaks you out? I don't get it." Abby told her.

"Don't listen to her. "Olivia said gently. "I was scared too."

"Really? What did you do?" Quinn asked expectantly.

"I looked out the window and watched everything."

"You did what? No! I can't watch!"

"I'm not saying it will help you, I'm saying it helped me. It totally put my mind at ease about it to watch the plane rolling down the runway and leave the ground. I think you should think about it." Olivia advised.

"Yea." Quinn said, swallowing hard. "I will."

They carried their overnight bags onto the plane and Olivia let her friends choose their seats before she chose hers. She tried talking to Quinn about anything mundane to keep her from obsessing over the take off, but the pilot's voice interrupted them and brought reality back to the forefront of their minds.

"Good afternoon, ladies. This is your pilot, Thomas..."

"He's very good!" Olivia told them. "He was our pilot on the way to Los Angeles."

Quinn gripped the arm rests until her knuckles turned white. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh."

"Heyyyy, just breathe. I promise it will be fine." Olivia told her.

Quinn nodded with her eyes shut.

"We're moving now!" Abby sang. "Going at a good clip too!"

Quinn's big brown eyes flew open. Looking around the cabin you wouldn't know the huge hunk of steel was moving. "I think I wanna see."

"Trust me, you do." Olivia told her with a smile.

The brunette looked out the window and saw the world moving quickly past them. "Holy shit! That's the coolest thing I've ever seen! I can see the wing of the plane!"

"I told you." Olivia said chuckling. "If I could fly to work every day I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"Woah! We just left the ground." Quinn gasped. "Like...we're not touching it anymore!"

"We weren't exactly going to roll all the way to Tranquility Bay." Abby chuckled.

"If I were you, I'd enjoy the sights out the window while you can. This is only an hour long flight, and we'll be there before you know it."

"She's right." Olivia yawned and got to her feet.

"Where are you going?"

"To lay down on the bed in the back. Wake me up when we are about to descend so I can buckle up."

"There's a bed on this thing?" Quinn asked, leaving her mouth hanging open.

Olivia nodded.

"How do you know about it?" Abby demanded.

"Because I screwed Fitz's brains out on it on the way to LA." she chuckled.

"You dirty harlot." Abby said smirking. "I wanna see it."

"Me too." Quinn chimed in.

Olivia shrugged. "Come on."

A hand was shaking her, and Olivia opened her eyes. The flight attendant was standing at the side of the bed. "Ms. Pope? We are about to begin our descent, if you and your passengers would go back to your chairs. The pilot has put the seat belt sign back on."

Olivia nodded and looked at her two friends. The three of them had passed out on the bed after some brief giggling about the mile high club and other weird places to have sex. The three of them looked like a pile of bent arms and legs. She was so glad she had them in her life. But it was time to wake their asses up.

The three women excitedly disembarked the plane, each pulling a suitcase behind them once they were safely on the ground again. It was gorgeous outside. Too hot really, but they barely noticed due to their enthusiasm of being away. They veered towards a man holding a small sign that read GRANT WOMEN.

"You've gotta talk to him, Liv. This looks like we are his harem or something." Abby complained.

"I think it's sweet." Quinn told them. "He loves talking care of you and your friends. It's super romantic."

"I'm with you, Quinn." Olivia agreed. She plucked her phone from her purse as they got into the car and the driver took them to the resort.

"Hi."

Olivia grinned like a fool. "Hi."

"I take it you found the car I arranged for the three of you?"

His smooth deep voice suddenly had her wishing she was home alone with him. Then again, she'd be away less than twenty four hours. "We did. That was very thoughtful of you. The girls are completely in love with you now."

"Thanks, Fitz!" Quinn called out.

"You're the best, man." Abby chimed in as she clinked a champagne filled flute against Quinn's.

He chuckled, happy to know the three of them had approved of his plan. It was only the beginning of the surprises from him, but he wasn't going to tell them about any of it. "The three of you deserve it. Enjoy yourselves. I love you, Livvie."

"I love you too. I'll call you before I go to bed."

The black sedan pulled in front of a beautiful building. The females grabbed the handles of their suitcases and went inside to check in. Olivia looked around the huge lobby, taking it all in and taking mental notes for ideas to bring up at the hotel she worked at. The young woman behind the counter brought her out of her haze. "Can I help you?"

Abby smiled at her, thankful to be on the opposite side of the counter for a change. "Yes, we'd like to check in please. There's a reservation under the name Wheelan."

"I'm sorry." The young woman replied politely. "Check in time is three p.m, and it's only one."

The redhead slid a fifty dollar bill across the smooth surface. It usually made a difference for her when someone wanted to get into their room early. "Is the room ready now?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It isn't. You can come back at three and check in like everybody else. I can't believe you tried to bribe me. That is sooo tacky."

Abby pulled her money back and stuffed it into her purse on a sigh. Just as she was about to get loud and fussy, another woman stepped up to the computer and began typing. Abby looked at her with a sense of déjà vu.

"Miss Wheelan, your room is absolutely ready now if you'd like to check in."

"Let me guess, you're her boss, and she just fucked up how she handled the check in and you're here to smooth it over. I get that. I do check ins at a hotel too." She jerked her thumb at Olivia. "This one almost got fired for the same shit."

"Abby, shut up. She probably feels bad enough for the way she spoke to you." Olivia gently told her.

"No, I don't. She tried to bribe me! It's completely ridiculous! This whole _place_ is ridiculous!" the original employee scoffed.

"You'd be out on your ass at my hotel." Abby informed her.

"I'm terribly sorry for her behavior. Believe me when I say it will be dealt with." The manager said in hushed tones.

"I know how that goes. Right, Liv?"

Olivia put her face in her hand and shook her head back and forth. She was beyond mortified.

"Your room is ready because someone paid extra for the early check in." she enlightened them.

The three women looked at each other with grins and in unison said, "Fitz!" They were each given a key card as well as directions to their beach house.

"This place is gorgeous!" Quinn gushed as her eyes took in everything. "Go pick your room first, Liv and then we'll pick ours."

The three of them scrambled up the stairs, and basically chose the first bedroom they came to. Olivia happened to get the one that faced the ocean. The room was all white with a queen sized bed, and had a door that opened outside to a small deck and a gorgeous view. She parked her suitcase up against a wall and then kicked off her sandals and stepped out on the deck. The warm salty air whipped her hair in every direction. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was perfect.

"I have the best room here!"

Olivia went back inside, closed the door, and went to find the others and see what their rooms looked like. "This is beautiful!" she told Abby. Her room was at the other end of the short yellow hallway upstairs. It was all white just like hers, and she also had a deck outside, which she shared with Quinn.

Quinn's room was right beside of Abby's. And a bathroom was in between their rooms. Quinn's room had two twin beds with red frames. All of the walls were white, except one, which had a red print on it. "I think I have the best room. Sorry, Liv." Quinn told her.

"Don't be sorry. I absolutely love my room. Let's go check out the rest of the house and see what's on the agenda."

The kitchen, dining room, and living room was all one huge open area. There was a small rectangular table near a window, and a bright colored couch and a couple of plush chairs in the dining area. Past the couch there was a front porch that led out to a wooden path at the edge of the water. Everything was beautiful. "You did good, Abs!" Olivia gushed. "If I weren't getting married tomorrow, I'd want the three of us to live here!"

"Right? Oh my gosh it's so peaceful here. Is there anything on the agenda for today?" Quinn asked, hoping there wasn't.

"We weren't supposed to be able to check in until three, so we have two hours to ourselves. Whaddya wanna do?" Abby asked excitedly.

"You knew we weren't supposed to check in until three?" Olivia asked with squinted eyes.

"Why did we leave so early then?" Quinn asked.

Abby shrugged.

"My fairy godfather told me he'd work it out. And he did."

"I can't wait to tell him about his new title when I call him later on." Olivia said laughing. "Let's go swimming!"

"Ocean or pool?" Quinn asked.

"Both!" Olivia and Abby said together.

The ocean water felt heavenly on their warm skin. It was a little cooler than bath water, but unlike being in a tub, the girls floated on their backs and soaked up the sun. When they grew tired of floating in the aqua ocean water, they walked to one of the crystal clear pools and floated a while there. It was quiet and hardly anyone was in the pool in the heat of the afternoon.

"Not that I plan on ever leaving here, but what time did you schedule the first thing on the agenda?" Quinn mumbled with her face up to the bright sun.

"Mmmmm, we're all getting massages at three. Manis and pedis are at five, and dinner is at six thirty." Abby informed them.

"You guys have fun with all that. I'll be right here." Quinn replied.

"I'm the bride, and if I have to leave, you have to leave too." Olivia told her in a pleasant tone with her face to the sun. "I'm looking forward to having someone rub my legs and back. Riley may be the size of a squash, but my legs and back feel like I'm carrying a ten pound bag of potatoes. I'm not missing this appointment."

"Do you want us to get the same color nails for the wedding pictures?" Abby asked.

"I don't care about that. You get whatever you want, Abs."

"Yay! We really need to get back to our house so we'll be ready when the massage therapists show up." Abby told them.

Olivia felt like she would float away on a cloud. She was laying on her side and the massage therapist was working on her back. She had already massaged Olivia's neck, shoulders, and arms - and it had felt fantastic. But then the young woman had Olivia roll onto her side. She gave the expecting mom a few pillows to help keep her joints aligned as she worked on her. The moment she began to work on Olivia's back, she felt like every ounce of pregnancy fatigue was being rubbed right out of her.

Fitz gave decent back rubs, and his hands were big enough that they covered just about every spot that ached. The problem was, Fitz often times turned a back rub into sex within five minutes. By the time he had turned the massage into something sexual, she was in the mood for sex and the back rub was always forgotten.

Every thoroughly rubbed muscle in her back felt like putty. Her back didn't hurt anymore. Once she was done with her massage, Olivia's legs felt much better too. She wondered if she could bring the massage therapist home with her? She was that good.

Quinn dozed off while getting her toenails done later and Abby and Olivia giggled at her.

"Where are you guys going on your honeymoon?" Abby asked.

"We're just going to stay at home. It's getting close to my due date, and Fitz doesn't want me to chance flying anywhere too far. We're just going to enjoy the peace and quiet as long as we can." Olivia answered.

"That'll be nice. Boring, but nice." Abby said. "In all seriousness though, I have something for you."

"Abby, you shouldn't have done anything else! This little escape was more than enough. I will never be the same after that amazing massage. I may never wake up tomorrow morning."

"I know Fitz's mom's ring is your something old. The wedding band is your something new. I know who has your something borrowed and what it is – you are going to DIE when you find out! So, I wanted to get you your something blue. It cost me next to nothing so chill out." Abby handed Olivia a small blue gift bag and simply said, "open it."

Olivia pulled the edges of the bag open and looked inside. A giggle slipped out of her mouth and her eyes darted over to Abby's green ones. "These are perfect!" she squealed loudly. She pulled out a pair of dusty blue sunglasses and put them on. "I love them so much! Thank you, Abs!"

"What's happening?" Quinn muttered as she blinked several times and tried to focus on her surroundings.

"Abby just gave me my something blue. Aren't these great?" Olivia asked.

"Hey! I chipped in on those too!" Quinn's sleep laced voice didn't quite sound as intimidating as she meant it to.

"She's such a stickler for details." Abby replied with an eye roll.

"Thank you both!" Olivia told them.

Once their nails were dry, the three of them immediately went to the beach house to get ready for dinner. Music played through the house as the three of them got ready. They wanted to make their last bachelorette event special by dressing up before they headed to the covered patio restaurant called Butterfly Cafe. They looked gorgeous, with hair done and cute dresses on, but they were all starving after a busy day of pampering. When they were finally sitting down at mostly empty place, they ordered their drinks and looked at the menu.

It was no surprise that the food was just as amazing as everything else they had experienced there. All three of them were too tired from an afternoon of pampering to care about much else other than sleep. With full bellies, relaxed muscles, and gorgeous nails, the three women walked back to their beach house. There was a gazebo on a patch of sand out near the water. When Olivia jerked her head in that direction, the other two followed.

When they got closer, they saw three Adirondack chairs under the center of the gazebo. They were all facing different directions, so they each picked them up and placed them side by side, facing the water. Each of them breathed a sigh of relief and took in the gorgeous scenery in front of them.

The sun was disappearing behind the horizon. The sky was colored all orange, and yellow. The water was gently lapping against the shoreline, and a soft breeze was blowing. It looked like something out of a movie. Each of them watched the scene for a while and then started taking photos of it. And then selfies.

When the giggling died down, Abby said, "we've got a big day tomorrow."

"I'm so excited!" Olivia admitted with a grin. "He makes me so happy!"

"You guys are going to be the cutest little family. I'm really happy for you, Liv. Honestly."

"Thanks, Quinn. That's so sweet of you to say."

"Tomorrow is going to be perfect. Your parents are bringing your dress to the house, Max is stopping by with Fitz's ring, and the flowers and food will be delivered and set up sometime in the afternoon. Everything is on schedule, and running perfectly."

"Wow. You are nailing this maid of honor thing, Abs. I'm very proud of you."

"Don't start that crap or I'll end up crying."

"Yea, but if we get the crying out of the way now it'll be better. We aren't getting pictures now. We are here together and no one here knows us. So, I'm saying all my stuff now, so tomorrow I'll be as close to tear free as possible."

"This is gonna make me cry. I can already feel it."

"First of all, Quinn, thank you for saving my life. And Abby's. You popped into our world at the perfect moment for the perfect reason. I'm beyond thrilled that you're going to take our wedding pictures. I'm really glad that you don't have your big camera with you right now though." Olivia sniffed. "You were a stranger who has become someone I know I can depend on. I don't trust people easily, but with you it was. I'm so grateful to you for everything. I'm glad you're in mine and Fitz's lives and I know you are going to be an awesome aunt to Riley."

"Oh my gosh, I hate you guys so much for this mushy stuff." Quinn said wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"And Abby. When I first moved to Florida, you were kind of a bitch to me."

Abby chuckled. "Yea, I kinda was."

"I admired you for that though. You taught me to be tough and to stand up for myself and not let anyone walk all over me. You stood by me when nobody else did, and even hung out with me. You've my best friend, but you feel more like the sister I never had growing up."

"Now who's being kind of a bitch?" The redhead asked with tears in her eyes.

"You both have become part of my village, and I know that I can count on you through thick or thin. And I hope you know you can count on me too? I love you guys so much, and I'm glad you're going to be with me on my wedding day tomorrow."

"Are you three alright?" A good looking man asked from the shoreline.

"Beat it, asshole." Abby shouted at him. "My best friend is trying to have a moment and you just ruined it!"

"Jeeez. I was just..."

"Are you seriously still talking? Go! Away!" she yelled. When he was well away from them, the three women burst into wild laughter.

"Come on. Let's go back to our perfect beach house. You guys can have a few drinks and I can FaceTime with my groom."

"Fiiiiitz?" Olivia called out. He had answered the FaceTime but all she could see was dim lighting while loud music thumped at an ear splitting level. "Helloooo?"

And then his handsome face appeared on the screen. "Hi, Livvie! Is at you?"

She tried to catch a glimpse of whatever was over his shoulder, to see if she could figure out where he was. It was no use. "Fitz? Where are you?"

He put his finger up to his lips and very loudly said, "Shhhh! Imma get kicked the fuck outta ere if you don't keep your voice down."

"Where are you exactly?" she asked again.

"Oh kayyyy! Stephen's back with a hookers! Yayyyyyy!"

"What?" He did not just say hookers!

"You gotta be quiet! I ain't getting kicked out jus cuz..." He blinked a few times and swayed on his feet before looking at her as if it was the first time. "Hi, Livvie. When did you get here?"

"Fitz? Where are you? Where is Stephen? Let me talk to him right NOW!"

Bright lights suddenly came on, causing even Olivia to squint. "Gotcha, babe." Fitz grinned down at the face of his phone before putting it in Stephen's face. "Dude, she was gonna beat your ass! My woman is tough!"

"We're at your house, Olivia as you can plainly see. You have really turned Fitz into a good boy. Next time you go out of town would you mind leaving his balls here please?"

"I love you too, Stephen." Olivia giggled.

"What have you lovely ladies been up to today?" Fitz asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Well, we had massages, we had..."

"Wait a damn minute! These massages were from women, right?" Stephen asked.

"Yes, they were. Very sexy woman. And when we were done, we all had a pillow fight in our underwear. Happy?" Olivia asked with an eye roll.

"Did you record it?" Stephen asked loudly.

"Do you want me to ask Abby about that?"

"Hell no! Forget it! I'll never bring it up again."

Fitz was laughing at his ridiculous cousin before turning his attention to his fiance. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. I'm gonna see you tomorrow night, and then we'll have the same last name." she sang.

"I can't wait. God, I love you so much."

"You are going to have a wife this time tomorrow." she told him with a proud grin.

"I'm glad I finally found you."

"How do you know I didn't find you?" she teased.

"That's a good question for a clearer mind. I've had four scotches, and things are getting foggy." he chuckled.

"Go enjoy your time with Stephen before the old ball and chain comes back. I love you, Fitz."

"Love you too, babe. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be the one in the white dress." She winked at him and ended the connection.


	28. Wedding

**Wedding **

"Where is she, Abby?!"

"Sheeeeeee's running a little bit late. Stop stressing. Your mother will be here in plenty of time."

"This isn't a small thing to worry about. She has my wedding dress! I can't get married without it."

"Well, you could," Abby began. When she saw the ugly look on her best friend's face she quickly added, "but you aren't going to. She will absolutely be here! Go...drink some juice or...fold some baby clothes. Do something to keep your mind occupied."

Abby watched Olivia stalk to the kitchen and then glanced at her watch. It was two hours before the ceremony was supposed to start. Marie wasn't returning any calls from her or Liv, and Abby was beginning to worry. She tried to call Olivia's dad one more time. Surely, another voicemail wouldn't be too much, right?

"Hey, Papa Pope!" she said in an overly chipper voice. "This is Abby...calling you again. Liv is starting to stress out over you guys not being here with the dress yet. Could you _please_ call me back and let me know what's going on? I'm running out of ways to contain the little stress box that is your daughter. Call me back. Please. Thanks!"

Abby sighed heavily. The day had started out with lots of stress. It had gotten better as the day progressed, but little moments of craziness had been peppered along the way. Abby had found it vastly humorous, but Olivia had worried over all of it.

It started out when the girls woke up. Well, how they woke up to be precise.

"Abby! Abby get up!"

Abby, who was extremely hung over, was not quite ready to wake up and get her day started. She and Quinn had continued drinking out on the porch long after Olivia had passed out for the night. "Leamealone" she mumbled, and burrowed under the blankets, rolling on her side, away from Olivia.

"Come on, Abby." Olivia said, shaking the redheaded burrito. "Get up!"

"Noooo." she whispered. "Goway. And stop yellin' at me."

Olivia was not going to freak out alone. She grabbed the blanket and tugged hard, unwrapping Abby from her warm cocoon. Her friend's hair was frazzled, sticking up in so many directions instead of the straight tamed beauty it usually was.

"What the hell, Liv? I'm tryin' to sleep!"

"It's raining outside!" Abby looked out the window. It was barely light out there.

"Congratulations! You're a weatherman...woman...whatever. Now go away."

Olivia burst into tears and sat down on the edge of her friend's bed.

Well, hell. Now Abby felt like an asshole. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes to try to remove some of the fuzziness there. That made it so much worse. She closed her eyes and counted to ten before opening them and talking to Olivia. "Liv? It's not a big deal that it sraining. You get that, right? Because you're not gonna get married here."

"Yea, but what if it is raining at home? I don't have a plan B. We're just gonna...what? Stand in the rain and say our vows? Who doesn't come up with a back up plan?" Olivia whined.

"Heyyyyy, it's okayyyyy." Was she rhyming? She tried to shake off her inner Doctor Seuss and come up with comforting words. God, her head was thumping. "Florida weather is very...temperamental. You know that by now. It could be pounding down rain one minute and hot as hell the next. It's probably nothing more than a pop up shower."

Olivia sniffled. "You're probably right. I'm over reacting because of the hormones."

"There ya go. What time is it?" Abby wanted nothing more than for her best friend in the whole world to get the hell out of her room so she could sleep a little longer. But maid of honor duties required that she take care of Liv.

"It's six fifteen. You wanna go get some breakfast with me?" Olivia asked.

She would be there for Olivia today, but tomorrow nobody had better fuck with her or they would die! She was so tired. And then she remembered the bed on the plane. She could nap on the way home and it would help pep her right up for the ceremony. "Yea. Breakfast sounds good. Let me go wake up Quinn so she won't miss any of the fun either." If Abby had to go, that bitch was going too!

"Why is the sun so bright?" Quinn whined as they walked.

Olivia was overly happy. The rain had shut off almost as quickly as it had started, leaving everything looking clean and fresh. "What time did the two of you go to bed?"

"Like four." Quinn replied, staggering behind them.

"You guys only got two hours of sleep the night before my wedding? Are you insane?"

"When we found out Fitz left us a shit load of alcohol, we felt obliged to drink it. That took a while." Abby giggled, and held onto Olivia's arm. "We had a good time. And now we're ready to celebrate with you today."

"What time do we leave?" Quinn asked on a yawn.

"A car is picking us up at noon, so make sure all of your stuff is packed up and ready to go."

"Why are we conscious at six in the friggin morning?" Abby asked. "It's too early to be alive."

Olivia chuckled. "Because today I'm getting married. And I'm beyond happy. I want to spend my last hours as a single woman with you two crazies. Four in the morning? Really?"

"I'm kinda glad you got us up now. I'm starving."

"Me too!"

As they waited for their breakfast to be brought to the table, an older gentleman approached the three of them. "Which one of you is Olivia?" he asked with a kind smile.

The three women exchanged a look and Olivia spoke up. "I am. Why do you ask?"

He gave a slight bow and handed her a small box. "Mr. Grant asked me to deliver this to you."

Olivia couldn't contain the grin on her face as she thanked him and accepted the box. She was marrying the sweetest man today!

"Open it!" Abby demanded.

"Are you sure he doesn't have a brother?" Quinn asked softly. Abby was right. Fitz and Olivia were soulmates. They were perfect for each other.

"No siblings. Sorry." Olivia told her. She pulled on the fancy blue bow on top of the box, freeing it. The box was white. There was definitely some kind of jewelry inside. She pulled the lid back to reveal what it was. Her sharp inhale followed by misty eyes had her clutching it to her chest and trying not to cry.

"What the hell is it, Liv?"

"It's a monogrammed necklace with a G for the last name instead of a P."

"How sweet is that?" Quinn gushed softly. "Let me see."

Abby put it on her. "It's really beautiful, Liv. You're marrying a great guy."

It was useless, but she swiped a finger under her eyes to catch the tears. "Fitz isn't a great guy. He's the best guy."

The three of them boarded the plane right on time and went straight for their seats. They got buckled up and waited patiently for the plane to be wheels up. The moment the plane had reached cruising altitude, all three of them removed their seat belts and dashed to the back of the plane to lay down. They fell asleep immediately.

The front door of the Grant beach house opened a short while later and Olivia's parents walked in. Her dad was carrying a garment bag. Olivia pounced on them. "Where the hell have you two been?"

Marie's head jerked back sharply. "Excuse me? Are you talking to your mother like that?"

Abby took two steps back away from her best friend. She was on her own this time.

"We've been calling and texting you for the past few hours! I need my dress. Where have you been?"

Marie popped a hand on her hip and gave her daughter the look. "What time is your wedding?"

"Six o'clock. You know that."

"And what time is it now?"

"Four fifteen."

"Have you missed the wedding?"

"Momma, that's not the..."

"Have you missed the wedding?" she repeated slower.

"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is you have my dress on my wedding day, and you are late getting here with it, and you didn't take two minutes to let me know where you are so I wouldn't worry!"

"She's good, Marie." Aaron chuckled. "Riley doesn't stand a chance against her."

"She's not gonna speak to my grand baby like that." Marie told her husband.

"Momma! Focus! Why didn't you text or call me?"

"Because my phone died, and your father left his at home accidentally."

Olivia closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. When she felt calmer, she opened them and asked, "can you tell me why you are late with my dress?"

"Oh, I like this Olivia much better." Marie told her. "Yes, I can. I picked up your dress yesterday, while you were out of town. I had to get something done to it, but it couldn't be done until..."

"What did you do to my dress? It was perfect the way it was!" Olivia asked wide eyed. She took it from where it lay draped over the couch. She unzipped the garment bag and pulled out her dress. Nothing looked different about it. It was gorgeous.

"Are you done acting foolish?" Marie asked.

"This is my wedding day. I am so pregnant, and my hormones are making me act crazy. I'm sorry. Please tell me what you had done to my...Oh!" Olivia's eyes doubled and darted to her mom.

"There it is." Marie said confidently.

"There what is? What happened?" Abby asked from a chair. The Pope's were highly entertaining.

"Did you?" Olivia whispered.

"There's only one way to find out." Marie told her. "Don't you dare cry on that dress though."

Once again, Olivia took a deep calming breath and let it out slowly. She lifted the skirt, looking at the lining. Her eyes landed on something that hadn't been there until today. Olivia lovingly ran her fingers over the aged lace. It was a tradition in her family that started a very long time ago. Mothers had a small piece of their own wedding gowns sewn into the lining of their daughter's dresses to make the two women feel even more connected on their special day.

Abby came over to see what had turned Olivia into a mute. "What is that?"

Olivia sniffed and looked up at her mother. "It's a piece from my mom's wedding gown."

"You guys gotta stop with all the mushy shit. I can't do this today." Abby said, stalking away and dabbing at her eyes as she went.

Olivia got to her feet and went to her mom, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, mom."

"You're welcome, baby girl. Just remember this moment when you do the same thing to Miss Riley though." Marie said with a laugh.

"At least two decades from now." Aaron pointed out.

"Right, dad?" Olivia agreed. "I'm sorry I spoke to you like that, momma."

"I'll let it slide this time since it's your big day." Her mother told her and held her daughter tighter.

The back door opened and Quinn said, "Liv? Fitz wants to see you."

"No ma'am. The groom doesn't see the bride before the ceremony." Aaron told the camera carrying woman. If he had to wait to see his bride, Fitz could wait too.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean see you as in lay eyes on you."

"What other kind of seeing you is there?" Abby shot back.

"What's going on?" Olivia asked her friend as she walked across the room.

"I know it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony." Quinn said.

"Yea, in nineteen forty six maybe. Nobody cares about that crap anymore." Abby told the little group of friends.

"I can't see him. My parents are here and they would freak out. And since they are paying for the wedding, I'm going to comply with their old fashion ways. What is my handsome stud muffin up to?"

Abby made a disgusted face. "Uh uh!"

"That's bad for even me." Quinn agreed, making a face.

"What does he want, Quinn?" Olivia asked impatiently.

"He wants to hold your hand. Without looking at you. He says he...misses you."

"Come on!" Abby said with an eye roll. "He's been away from you for less than twenty four hours. He's not gonna die if he..."

"Shut up, Abs." Olivia told her with a grin. "He's a helpless romantic. He can't help it. Tell him I said yes, Quinn. And I want you to take pictures of the whole thing. But first I have to get into my dress."

"You guys are like, couple goals or something." Quinn told her. "I'll go tell him."

Olivia stepped into her dress, and her mother and best friend pulled it up over her body.

Quinn took pictures of Marie pulling the zipper up, of Abby handing Olivia her earrings, of Liv's dad – who teared up when he saw his baby in her dress, and of the gloriously happy smile on Olivia's face, as she looked down and cradled her belly. These pictures were going to be amazing!

The blinds were closed on the sliding back door and he couldn't see anything or anyone inside. Quinn was standing close by with her camera in her hand, snapping pictures of him. It seemed like it was taking forever for Liv to get to the door. And then all of a sudden, something shifted. He knew she was right there. Less than a foot away from him, separated by a plane of glass. "Liv?"

"I'm right here." she told him, and stretched her hand towards the open door frame.

He took her hand in his and smiled at the familiarity of it. He started out rubbing little circles on her hand with his thumb, but then he brought it to his lips and kissed it. "I know it seems silly, but I've missed you."

"You won't be able to get rid of me in a few minutes. I'll be with you for the rest of your life." Olivia turned, facing the glass with her eyes closed. She wanted to be as close to him right now as she could. She had no idea that he had done the same thing, and that they were practically nose to nose.

"I can't wait." He smiled and intertwined their fingers, holding them close to his heart. "I love you. So much."

"I love you too, babe. I'm gonna be your wife today!"

"Yea you are! I can't wait to kiss my wife."

"Before I forget, thank you for my necklace." She reached up and touched it.

"You liked that huh?"

"Having it delivered during breakfast was very romantic."

"I think something like that deserves a prize. Don't you?" he asked with a wicked grin.

"I thought we were over that phase." Olivia chuckled.

"Never." he assured her.

"I think we can work out an appropriate prize for our wedding night." Olivia giggled. "But you know, Quinn was devastated that you don't have a brother."

"It's true." Quinn told him, from behind the camera lens. "I was."

"Okayyyy, it's almost time for us to get this thing started. Fifteen minutes til show time." The wedding planner told them. "Fitz, let go of your bride's hand please."

"I'll see you out there, Livvie." Fitz told her before kissing her hand once more.

"I'll see you out there, Fitz." When he was gone, Olivia did a little happy dance inside the house. She was marrying the most romantic man.

"Hello, Olivia." She turned around to see Max standing by the front door.

"Max? Are you okay? What are you doing here?" She asked walking towards him.

"I just...wow...I just wanted to see you before the ceremony." He took her hands and looked at her. "You look beautiful. Like...a fairy tale."

She couldn't suppress the smile on her face. "Thank you. That is very sweet. Fitz definitely gets that from you."

"I wanted you to know that I am overjoyed that you and Fitz found each other. You are going to make one another very happy for a very long time."

"Please don't make me cry, Max."

He chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to. I've never had a daughter."

Aaron cleared his throat from across the room.

Olivia chuckled at her father.

"And I'm not trying to steal yours from you, Mr. Pope." Max assured him. "I just want you to know that I will always be here for you, Olivia. For all of you. You're family now. And speaking of that, I wanted you to have something."

"Ohmygod! No!" Abby declared loudly. "If you are going to make an overly sweet gesture that is sure to make her cry, or me cry, get out!"

"Abby!" Olivia chuckled. "Ignore her. We all do."

"She's just doing her job as maid of honor. I get it. And I'll keep it short and to the point. No crying though!" Max handed Abby Fitz's ring for safe keeping, and then gave Olivia a small oblong box. "I'd love to say this is yours, but it's not."

Olivia opened the box and saw a pearl bracelet. She gasped and pulled it from the box. "They are beautiful."

"They were my wife's. I'd like to give them to Riley when she much older."

"Are you crying, Liv?" Abby demanded in a wavering voice.

"Uh uh." Olivia whimpered.

"May I?" Max asked.

Olivia nodded and handed him the bracelet. She watched her father in law put the stunning bracelet on her tiny wrist and said, "he really does get it from you, doesn't he?"

Max shrugged wearing a similar lopsided grin as his son's. "I suppose he does. I've tried to teach him how to properly treat a woman. If he's marrying you, I'd say he learned something."

Olivia threw her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she was squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears away. "Thank you so much for the loaner. Oh! Is this my something borrowed?"

Max smiled at his daughter in law. His son had chosen well. Olivia was going to make him very happy. Her question brought him abruptly to his senses. "Nooooo. I know what your something borrowed is though, and trust me, this pales in comparison. You will cry when you are gifted with it."

"Abby?" Olivia asked.

"Oh, you're on your own when that comes around. I'll be a puddle of tears."

"I need to get out there and take my seat. I just wanted you to have that for the ceremony. We will have to tell Riley Amelia the story of how her mommy wore her jewelry when she married her daddy." Max said. He could feel tears stinging his own eyes.

"Get out!" Abby shouted, pointing at the door and dabbing at her own eyes.

"Yup. I deserved that." Max said as he cleared his throat. "Marie, do you want to walk with me?"

Marie wiped her own eyes and went to her daughter, giving her a hug. "You are marrying into a wonderful family, Liv. I'm so happy for you."

"See you out there, mom."

Abby slammed the door behind them. "Damn Grant men being ridiculous all the damn time!"

"You okay, Abs?"

"Yea. I'm just glad to see you get your happy ending. You deserve it, Liv."

Olivia pulled her in for a hug and whispered, "don't make me cry, bitch."

The two women giggled before parting. Abby handed Olivia her flowers and then picked up her own bouquet. "Let's get married!"

"He's not marrying you, Abby." Olivia chuckled.

"He's marrying you, and you're my best friend. I'm gonna be around all the time. So, he's marrying me too!"

"I can't argue with that logic. We'll be right behind you, Abs."

"You don't have to do this, lil bit. I know you want to. And I know he's going to make you beyond happy, but you don't have to do this." Aaron told her with a sad smile.

"You'll always be the first man I ever loved, dad. No husband can ever take that away from you." Olivia felt like she had hugged everyone on planet Earth today, but still she pulled her dad into her arms. "I love you, dad. So, so much."

"I love you too, Liv. I know Fitz is going to make you the happiest woman in the world. Next to your mother."

Olivia chuckled and dabbed her index finger at the corner of her eye. "I'm ready to do this. Are you?"

The familiar music that millions of brides have, and continue to walk down the aisle to, began to play as Olivia stepped out on the warm sand. Their guests got to their feet and watched as she made her way, barefoot, down the narrow path between the chairs. The sun was shining brightly in a perfectly cloudless day. Everyone looked perfect and they smiled back at her when she met eyes with them.

And then she locked eyes with Fitz. He looked handsome as ever in his tux, standing next to Stephen. His blue eyes looked even bluer with the ocean as a backdrop. His hair was slightly ruffled by the warm breeze blowing off the water. He looked like he wanted to cry, but was holding it all together.

Olivia was stunning! Her gown was perfect on her. The flowers were beautiful in her hand. She had left her hair down, just the way he liked it best. The breeze was gently tossing it every so often, making him want to run his fingers through it. Her skin had that beautiful pregnancy glow, and as his eyes dipped to see his daughter poking out from Olivia's belly, Fitz smiled. He had everything he ever wanted in life standing right in front of him. She handed her flowers to Abby and took his hands. "Hi."

Why did him uttering that one word make her come undone every single time? She didn't know, but she was glad she would be able to hear it every day for the rest of their lives. She said it back. "Hi."

"Are you ready to do this, gorgeous?" he asked with a wink.

"Absolutely." she told him with a smile.

"...by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Fitz wasted no time putting his hands around his wife's waist and pulling her to him. He dipped her, making Olivia laugh before he brushed his lips softly across hers. He broke the tender kiss and told her, "we are finally married!"

When Fitz set her back on her feet, Olivia got her flowers from Abby and waited for the minister to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald Grant!"

"I'm officially a Grant!" she declared loudly with a huge grin on her face.

Her brand new husband kissed her again and said, "welcome to the family, Mrs. Grant."

The reception on the pier nearby was amazing. Once Quinn had taken a million photos of the wedding party and families, Fitz held Olivia's hand and led her up the steps. It was slow going because she continued to turn around and kiss him. "We're married!" they continued to say to each other.

Finally, they made it to where the action was and everyone cheered. That seemed like another perfect moment for a kiss to the happy couple. The center of the pier was the dance floor, and Aaron grabbed a microphone. "Olivia and Fitz, please take your spot in the center for the first dance as man and wife."

Fitz led Olivia to the dance floor and listened to her father.

"For your first dance as a married couple, and your something borrowed, Marie and I would like to loan you our song. I think it's very fitting for the two of you until you find your own song. Happy wedding day, lil bit, and welcome to the family, Fitz."

Familiar slow music began to play as Fitz pulled his brand new wife into his arms. Etta James' magical and flawless voice played loudly over the speakers. Trust in Me were the first three words. How many times had Olivia watched her parents dance to this song in the kitchen when she was a kid? Or heard it playing throughout the house as her mom cleaned the house on Saturdays? Too many too count.

As hard as Olivia had fought to keep it together, this was her undoing. Tears rolled down her face as her eyes quickly darted over to her father's. He was standing off to the side watching them and enjoying her reaction to the gift. He gave her a soft smile and blew her a kiss. Olivia mouthed the words, "thank you" to him. A warm finger brushed the tears away from her cheeks, and Olivia looked up at the man standing in front of her. The man who was now her husband.

"This song is kinda perfect." He told her, as his fingers grew slightly more possessive at her waist as he gently held her right hand in his.

"The whole day has been perfect. I'm sorry that I'm crying. I've been trying to not be a mess all day long."

"It's okay. It's been an emotional day, but I got a wife out of it. I love you, Liv."

"Kiss me, husband."

"Mmmmm I'm going to like having a greedy little wife." He grinned and kissed her as they danced.

"I love you, Fitz."

"Can we leave yet?" he whispered in her ear.

She chuckled and swatted playfully at him. "No."

Stephen and Abby made beautiful toasts to the bride and groom. The garter was flung, and caught by one of the guys who worked with Fitz in LA named Huck. Quinn happily caught the toss away bouquet Olivia had practically thrown at her. She and Huck stood side by side and had an interesting conversation as Abby used Quinn's camera and captured it all.

Fitz got the camera at one point and took pictures of the three girls when they started happily dancing together in the middle of the dance floor. He watched his wife, surrounded by people she had let in little by little. He was proud of her for letting her guard down and allowing people into her heart, without fear or reservations.

He took another picture and handed the camera to his father for safe keeping. As Fitz made his way towards his beautiful wife to dance with her one more time before he took her home, he was moved beyond words that she had let him in too.

After everything she had been through, Olivia had opened up to love and trust. She made space for him in her life and in her heart, and he knew he would never be the same because of it. And now they were finally married. Their forever was going to be amazing together. The thought of that made him want to weep with gratitude. He loved her more than anything. Instead of more tears though, he took her hand and joined her and their close friends in a fun dance. They had their whole lives together to make beautiful music alone.

**Only 2 more chapters left of this story...**


	29. Showering Baby

**Showering Baby **

It had been three weeks since Fitz and Olivia's wedding. Three weeks of reminding each other that they were married, of sweetly calling each other husband and wife, of being in a dream like state of the blissful honeymoon phase. Married life was everything it was cracked up to be, and much, much more.

Today was the day their friends, family, and co workers were throwing them a baby shower. It wasn't like Riley needed anything at all. Between her daddy and her grandparents, Olivia couldn't imagine anything left to buy from their baby registry. It would be a good time no matter what because they would be surrounded by people who loved them and loved their baby.

"Baaaaaabe? Are you ready to go?" Fitz called from the living room. He was looking online for a checklist of everything new mothers needed to have at the hospital when giving birth. He also had a tab opened for a list of properties the hotel was looking at to buy and build on. With just a few weeks left of her pregnancy, Fitz was concentrated more on the list of hospital items needed than the properties. He kept it open in case she surprised him and got ready in under an hour and a half. "Babe?"

"Two minutes!" she shouted back.

That meant he had at least fifteen more minutes until she was ready. By the time Olivia came into the living room, Fitz had decided that she might need a new pair of slippers and another nightgown. She had already been wearing the stuff they had bought in Los Angeles for her to take to the hospital, and he wanted her to have new things. He liked spoiling her with little surprises. He bookmarked the website of the store in LA where they had made their purchases and decided to come back and buy what she'd need later.

"Are you ready?"

"Born ready. You look beautiful. I thought you were going to wear the pink dress though?" She was wearing a white dress with black floral embroidery. She had on a pink necklace to show her support for the growing little girl in her belly.

"I was, but this one is more comfortable these days. I hope my shoes match because I can't even see my feet." she chuckled.

"Your feet are perfect, and in matching shoes."

"One less thing. Thank you for double checking for me. Did you take everything out of the car? I don't know how, but it's going to end up full by the time the shower is over."

He pecked her lips. "The car is empty, as requested."

"You're kinda sexy when you follow orders."

"You're kinda sexy when you give orders."

"We might have to explore this much more, after Riley is eighteen and moves out." she said grinning at him.

"You're hilarious too. You know damn well that by the time she is eighteen there will be four more kids behind her. We're never gonna have fun sex once the kids start arriving."

"Poor baby." she said lightly patting his cheek.

"Don't forget tonight is spa night at home, so don't be talking to everyone for hours when this thing is over." Ever since the wedding, Liv had gone on and on about the massage she gotten at the resort she, Abby, and Quinn had gone to for her bachelorette. Fitz had gone above and beyond trying to recreate the magical feeling for his wife. She always went above and beyond to make him feel magical afterwards. It was a win win.

Just thinking about it was making him handsy. "Let's get back here, get in the tub, and then let the master give you a masterful massage."

"Mmmm. You have the best ideas, husband." Olivia replied, and headed towards the door. "Come on. We can't be late to our own baby shower."

Fitz stood there for a minute with a funny little smile on his face. She didn't shoot down his idea of four more kids. He was going to keep her pregnant like it was his job. "Coming, dear." he told her and followed her out the door.

Olivia's parents were the ones officially hosting the baby shower. It was being held at a clubhouse close by. When the expecting parents walked inside, the decorations were the first thing they saw. The colors were a dusty rose and gold. It was so pretty and feminine. There was a gift table and a snack table, along with tablecloth covered tables for eating on. The cupcakes and cake were all on one table. There were balloons and star cut outs everywhere. A huge sign behind the table read: TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR, DO YOU KNOW HOW LOVED YOU ARE?

"Mom! This is beautiful!" Olivia gushed.

"I'm so glad you like it." she said, giving her daughter a smile.

"You outdid yourself, Marie." Fitz told her, and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you. Nothing but the best for my girls. Just about everyone is already here, so go ahead and mingle for a few minutes and we'll get things started, okay?" Marie went to talk with a few of her friends while Olivia chatted with other guests.

She and Fitz spoke to several people at the shower. Olivia spotted Quinn talking to her mother's neighbor and went to go save her from the overly chatty older woman. Quinn would be stuck there for the entirety of the shower unless someone rescued her. They had just reached her when a particular redhead stood in their path. "Well, if it isn't Mrs. Knocked up. How's married life treating ya?"

Fitz grinned and leaned closer, kissing Abby on the cheek. "We're great. Do not get momma in a foul mood please."

"It must be massage night at home with the Grants." Abby said with too much enthusiasm.

Olivia chuckled. "I'm fine. Married life is amazing. You should try it."

Abby wrinkled her nose. "Me? Get married? Are you high? No thanks! I prefer having loud sex whenever and wherever I want."

"You're just being mean now." Fitz told her.

"Stop it." Olivia advised her friend. "Having someone to come home to every night is nice. You might like it."

"I have that. With Quinn. We're roommates. Remember? Or does pregnancy make you lose your mind on top of all the other stuff that happens too? You look nice by the way."

"Thank you. So do you."

Abby touched Olivia's belly. "The peanut has got to be getting cramped up in there by now. Poor kid."

"She's very active these days. And will not get off my bladder."

"Give the kid a break, Liv. She's folded up like a pretzel in there. Nobody better give her any shit when she stretches on the outside."

"You make it sound like she's breaking out of prison." Olivia said on a laugh.

"Okay, everyone." Marie said, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Let's all take our seats. Liv, you and Fitz are over here in the chairs with the pink balloons. Abby, you're on the other side Liv. Okay, we'll eat first, and then open gifts for Ms. Riley. When you came in you should have gotten a diaper pin attached to your shirt. If you say that word baby and someone overhears you, they can take your pin. The person with the most pins at the end of the shower will win a prize.

"I've got my listening ears on." Abby whispered.

"Go ahead and fix yourselves a plate. Liv and Fitz will go first since they have to open the gifts."

Abby raised her hand. "I need to fix a plate first too because I'll be writing down the list of baby gi..."

Olivia held out her hand. "Give me that pin."

The word bitch was on the tip of Abby's tongue, but she refrained from calling her best friend that, as people chuckled at her. Instead, she wordlessly unpinned the silver attachment, and closed it before pressing it into Olivia's hand. "I hate you" she whispered.

Fitz was having an interesting conversation with Liv's dad about how much stuff is too much stuff for a newborn. They were laughing as Fitz told him Riley's dresser and closet was practically full of clothes and how crazy that was. "I heard you say once that baby socks get eaten by the dryer."

Aaron put his plastic cup down on the table and held out his hand, much like his daughter had earlier. "Maybe I did, but I didn't say it today. Hand it over, son."

Fitz was confused. "What?"

"You said the B word. I'll be taking that pin now." Aaron told him.

"But I'm the dad."

"What's your point? I'm the granddad. If you aren't winning a prize for the men, that leaves me."

"Wow. I see how it is." Fitz told him, and handed over his pin. "I'm not out of this yet. Just so you know."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." His father in law replied smugly.

Max walked in and made a beeline for Olivia, hugging her and then Fitz. "I'm sorry I'm so late. Work was crazy."

"It's fine. Everyone is still eating, so you haven't missed anything. Did you get a pin at the door?"

He chuckled. "Yea. I was told to not say the B word."

"Fitz just lost his pin to my dad." Olivia chuckled.

"Fierce competition, I see. I'll try to do the Grant name justice. I'm going to go get something to eat and I'll see you in a bit."

Quinn walked up to Olivia and Fitz and said, "I'm really sorry that I can't stay for the whole thing. The photography has really taken off since I shot your wedding! I'm booked up for the next five weekends."

"That's great! And I understand. We'll call you when we are at the hospital. We want you to take her pictures too please." Olivia told Quinn as she hugged her.

"Ooooh! Baby pict..."

"Give it to me!" Fitz commanded.

"Hand it over!" Abby demanded.

Quinn pulled Olivia out of the way of the vultures.

Olivia shot her husband and best friend an unpleasant look until they eased off some.

Quinn undid the clasp of the pin and continued talking to Olivia. "As I started to say...I've never taken _baby_ pictures before. I'm sure it'll be fun. Keep me posted." Glancing at both of them, Quinn added, "I'm giving this pin to Fitz because he asked first and he's the dad."

"Quinn's my favorite!" Fitz declared happily, and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll be back with a damn pin, Grant." Abby threatened, and stalked away.

Fitz grinned much too big at his father in law as he attached his new accessory to his shirt. He was keeping his mouth shut unless he was spoken to for the rest of the afternoon.

Abby finally got a pin from an older woman who was hard of hearing and no idea what the pin was even for. She was a friend of Momma Pope's, but Abby didn't care. Fair was fair and she was not going home without a damn pin today!

"Let's open gifts now that everyone has eaten. Abby, you have a notebook in front of you to write the baby..."

Abby and Fitz had their hands stretched out in her direction before she could even finish her sentence.

"...dammit!"

They were smart enough to not yell commands for her to give it up though. She handed the pin to her husband, who grinned maniacally to both of them.

"To write down the baby gifts. You two should be ashamed of yourselves."

"We're not though. Just so you know." Fitz admitted.

Abby looked over at Fitz and wordlessly pointed to Liv's dad and then the ground. And then gave a sneer.

He gave her a slight nod. His father in law was going down.

Olivia opened more clothes for Riley than she would ever wear in one lifetime. Thankfully, they were in a wide variety of sizes like Olivia specified, instead of the typical newborn sizes that people usually bought for a baby shower gift. She also received a mountain of diapers and wipes. It was hard to believe that one tiny human would need that many diapers, but Olivia was thankful to receive them.

The gifts started getting bigger the more she opened. Someone gifted them with a beautiful bouncer. Someone else gave them six different restaurant gift cards. Another person gave them a bath insert to go in the sink, along with several baby towels with cute animals on the hoods, baby lotion, and baby shampoo, with a sterling silver brush and comb set.

"Everything is so beautiful." Olivia gushed to the room full of people. "I adore this little brush and comb set. I can't wait to brush her hair with it."

"That's from me." Max told her as he ate a bite of his cake.

"Thank you, Max. Riley is going to love it." She leaned closer to Fitz and said, "your dad is the cutest."

"I'm the cutest." he reminded her, and pecked her grinning lips.

"That's a true statement, babe. My feet are screaming to get out of these shoes. I can feel them swelling as I sit here. Will you please spend a little extra time on my feet tonight? Since you're the cutest and the father of my baby?" she batted her eyelashes at him for added effect.

Fitz grinned at her and leaned even closer, getting in her neck. He pressed his lips to the skin just below her ear. "Livvie?" he said softly.

"Mmmm?" His mouth on her neck was the best thing in the world right now.

"Give me your pin."

"What?" her eyes flew open wide and she narrowed her eyes as she pulled away from him.

"You said the B word, beautiful. Give daddy that pin."

"Fitzgerald Grant, that is so mean!" Olivia whined. "I'm definitely telling Riley about that when she's older!"

"Maybe so, but I am on a mission to take your dad down! No prisoners, babe. But I will rub your feet later for as long as you want. I promise."

"That's a fair trade. Now I can say the word baby all I want. I love you, babe."

"Love you too." he sang. Fitz's eyes darted over to his father in law and he quickly counted the pins. Fitz was still three short of having more than Aaron. The party ain't over yet, Fitz told himself. The last game was one where guests rip off a long piece of toilet paper long enough that they think will go around the mother's body and touch ends. Fitz heard his wife sigh more than once when the guesses were way off. He knew she was ready to go home and get her feet up. And rubbed. They had been there for over two hours. He went to talk to Marie about wrapping things up.

"Okay, everyone. All good things must come to an end, but before we end this celebration for Miss Riley, I need to know who has the most pins. Count how many you have accumulated please."

Fitz had five.

Abby had four.

Aaron had eight.

There was no way for Fitz to come out the good guy and win. He went to Abby and whispered, "baby! Take my pins and kick his ass!"

Abby giggled loudly and started unpinning them from his shirt. "I have nine pins!" she happily announced to the room.

"Does anyone have more than nine pins?" Marie asked.

"I've got eleven." Everyone in the room turned to find Max grinning from the back of the room.

"Dad?" Fitz exclaimed.

"It's a...shower for a Grant. You gotta have a Grant win the contest." Max replied with a shrug.

"Suck it, Abby! Grants win!" Fitz told her.

"I hate him, Liv. Honestly! I'm going to go clean something!"

"Come up and get your prize, Max." Marie chuckled. "And then everyone is free to go home. Except the few people I have asked to stay and help clean up."

"We should stay and help." Olivia told Fitz.

"No!" Marie said, eavesdropping. "You go home and put your feet up."

"Thanks, momma. I will. And thank you for the beautiful baby shower."

"Your car has already been loaded, so you two are good to go." Marie told them. "Get her off her feet, Fitzgerald."

Fitz walked Olivia out to their now packed car. He helped her get into her seat and then closed her door and danced his way around to the driver's side where he got into his own seat. "What are you so happy about?" Olivia asked, toeing off her shoes and feeling her feet double in size without the constriction.

"Your mother just gave me permission to get you on your back." He told her.

"Oh my gosh. You know you're crazy, right?" she asked him.

"Imagine if you will, we are soaking in a warm bath tub filled with bubbles." he began.

"Mmmmmm. I like this visualization." She admitted with her eyes closed. Her feet were already feeling better just being free from the shoes. She should have worn sandals.

"You are leaning back against my chest, and I am washing every inch of you."

"Oh god. Don't stop!" she chuckled.

"I lay you down on our biiiiiiig bed and massage your feet and back until they feel all better. What do you say about that?"

"What do I have to massage of yours to get that special treatment?" she asked eyeing him.

"Nothing. I have no idea how hard it is to carry another person around inside of you every single day. You're nearing the finish line though, Liv. I want you to be as comfortable as you can be. If a massage helps, then that's what I'll do."

She cupped his cheek and gave him a smile. He was the best. "You're awfully damn sweet and thoughtful, Mr. Grant."

Fitz kissed the palm of her hand before taking it into his. "I have my moments. Let's go home and get you off your feet and relaxed, Mrs. Grant."

**Hey all. Several of you mentioned in your last review that you didn't want this story to end just yet. I know what it's like to want a story to continue on, but I started writing this one almost a year ago! It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but it has. I'm ready to give Duty Calls my full attention for a little while. But don't worry, I've already started 2 new lighter Olitz stories, as well as a one shot for Christmas. I'll still be around. Until next time...**


	30. Arrival

**Arrival**

"Just breathe."

"I am breathing!" She shouted.

"I know it hurts, and I'm so sorry."

"It's horrible! Why would anyone ever do this on purpose? And don't tell me that I'll forget all about the pain once I have the baby in my arms. I'm calling bullshit on that one!" she yelled and clutched her swollen belly.

She looked like she was dying. It was freaking him out so bad! Her yelling wasn't helping matters either. But she was the one who was in labor, so if she wanted to yell, he'd let her yell. She probably didn't mean any of it anyways. And even if she did, he couldn't blame her.

She had been woken up at two in the morning with a backache that wouldn't go away. She was at the stage in her pregnancy where she didn't sleep very good at night, and that meant that Fitz didn't either. He reached a hand over to her side of the bed, but felt cool sheets instead of a warm body. He had immediately sprung to his feet to go find her and make sure everything was alright.

He found her in the kitchen eating a small bowl of ice cream. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

She shook her head no. "My back hurts. This house is filthy, so I thought I'd clean some more. But then I remembered that I have a freezer full of ice cream. It's just a small pit stop."

"Take it easy, Mr. Clean. You've washed and scrubbed and wiped every surface of this entire house from top to bottom. There isn't a dirty spot in the place." Fitz assured her. He went to a drawer nearby, pulled it open, and grabbed a spoon, before pushing it closed again. He knew better than to try to eat whatever she was working on. Instead, he grabbed a carton from the freezer, sat down beside her at the table, and got started.

"I know you probably think I'm insane."

"I'm very comfortable with your insanity by now." he joked.

Olivia paused and blew out a long breath with her eyes closed.

"Liv? You okay?" He asked as he watched her.

She opened her eyes when the feeling passed and brought the ice cream to her lips as if nothing had happened at all. "I'm fine" she said, bringing the spoon into her mouth. "Just a little pain. It's nothing."

Fitz's eyes practically bulged out of his head. "Nothing? Are you crazy?"

"I thought we were going with insane?" She said mildly.

"Olivia! You're due next week! You can't be passing off random pains as nothing. It could be early labor!"

"It could be, but I doubt that's what it is." She told him as she got to her feet to throw away the empty carton. She really had a lot to do today. She was not bringing a baby home to a dirty house.

Fitz was watching her like a hawk now. She needed to sit her little ass down and put her feet up. They were already beginning to swell. "What makes you so sure it's not labor?"

Olivia turned to face him and propped her hand on her hip. "Because my water hasn't even...Shit!"

A pair of blue lasers dropped to the floor as a puddle began to form at his wife's feet. They flicked back up to her brown ones and he smirked at her. "You were saying?"

It didn't seem like that conversation had happened just two hours ago. It felt more like two days ago that he and Liv had panicked over her water breaking before rushing around like lunatics and heading to the hospital.

He pushed all of that out of his mind and stayed present right now. He decided to speak soothing words. Comforting words. "I can't imagine what you're going through, Livvie."

"We aren't having any more kids either! Fuck that! Fuck labor! This is hard and it sucks!"

Surely, she didn't mean that! They had discussed having more kids. At least three more. Fitz closed his eyes and counted to ten. Soothing words. Comforting words. "Squeeze my hand when it hurts. I'm here for you, babe."

Olivia gripped her husband's hand as tightly as she could, when the next wave of pain rolled over her. She was trying to breathe like she had been taught, but the pain was so overwhelming, it made thinking difficult.

Holy fuck! He was going to have a withered hand. Fitz had no idea that Olivia was even that strong! But here he was, with no feeling in his right hand. Thank God she hadn't gotten a grip on his left one. It would be a bitch to learn how to write with his right one. He felt her grip begin to loosen as the intense labor pains began to subside. He was breathing just as hard as she was now.

"You're doing a great job, Livvie." Fitz praised, and quickly pulled his numb hand away from her super human grip. "Keep it up. I'll bet you have dilated even more by now. Riley will be here in no time."

Olivia felt sweaty and tired and not at all prepared like she thought she would be. Everything at home was ready for her daughter. The crib had been put together and fresh sheets were on it, her new clothes had been washed and put away, a large stack of diapers had been freed from the box they came in, and were sitting in the top drawer of the changing table. But her body felt like it was not ready. She had forgotten all of the breathing techniques, she was yelling at her perfect husband, and she just wanted the hard part to be over.

A sheen of sweat coated her forehead. The pain was subsiding again. Olivia took deep breaths with her eyes closed and felt so much calmer. "I'm sorry, Fitz. I didn't mean to yell at you. I should have..."

"Stop, Liv." Fitz timidly took her hand in his. "What happens in the hospital, stays in the hospital. I can't do anything but sit here and watch you go through this. I can't take the pain away or make it more bearable. I'm not going to take anything you say to me personally."

"You're the best and I love you. Could you get me some ice chips please? It's hot as hell in here."

"Absolutely, babe. Whatever you need."

Fitz came back with ice chips to see a couple of nurses scurrying around Olivia's room. "What's...going on?"

"Your wife has fully dilated and is at the pushing part." One of the nurses informed him.

"But we just got here less than a couple hours ago. Is that even possible?" Fitz was freaking out. In any movie he'd ever seen, women were in labor for a really long time. This was going at warp speed.

"Apparently, your daughter is really excited about being here."

"She's okay though, right?" Fitz asked.

"She's perfectly fine. Just impatient." she explained.

"Liv? Are you okay?" He felt like an idiot not asking about her. Olivia reached a hand out to him with a smile that quickly turned to a grimace.

"I'm...fine. Just...ohhhh! It hurts!"

"Remember your breathing." The nurse said patiently. "Let's take a look and see where we are. Dad? Do you wanna see?"

"Nope. I'm good right here holding her hand." Fitz stated, shaking his head back and forth. The grip on his hand tightened immensely in a second. He looked at Olivia and saw her face crinkled and a pain filled expression covering it. "You've got this, Liv. I'm right here."

"How are we doing in here?" The doctor asked one of the nurses from the doorway.

"Olivia is fully dilated and ready to start pushing."

"This is her first baby?"

"It is. This little one is ready to roll."

"We are going to start pushing on your next contraction. Okay, Olivia?" She asked.

Olivia nodded. She could already feel the pain starting to build once again. She held Fitz's hand tighter, propped herself up on her elbows, and began to push as hard as she could.

"Excellent job! Keep that up and we'll have a baby here in no time."

Dropping onto her back, Olivia took a moment to catch her breath. Fitz pushed her hair out of her face and whispered encouraging words to her. He was a rock, and she was thankful he was here with her. Although everything seemed to be happening so fast, probably much faster than normal, she knew she could do it. "We're gonna have a baby today." she told Fitz.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Today is gonna be Riley's birthday. You are doing amazing and I'm so proud of you."

"Here comes another one." she said gritting her teeth. Fitz helped her onto her elbows again and she started pushing.

"I see a head!" The obstetrician announced with a smile. "A few more fantastic pushes, Olivia and your little one will be here."

Olivia's determination doubled at the doctor's words. She panted until the next contraction came over her, and she pushed with all her might.

"The head is out! This little one has a super strong mommy."

"Yes, she does." Fitz said in complete agreement. He'd never felt so useless yet amazed in his whole life. His wife was bringing new life into the world using the strength of her body. He was vastly proud of her.

Two pushes later the doctor announced, "it's a girl!" and suctioned out her mouth and nose.

Olivia tried leaning closer to see her daughter. "Is she okay?"

Riley made her presence known with her loud cries of being in a foreign place after being housed elsewhere for the past nine months. "She's perfect" the doctor assured her. She clamped the cord and asked, "Does dad want to cut the cord?"

Fitz's eyes went wide in a flash and terror filled them as the blue shocked orbs went from the doctor to Olivia to each nurse. "I...I...I'm not really qualified to do that. Am I?"

"Dads do it all the time. Just cut right here." She handed him the sterile scissors and showed him exactly where to cut between two clamps. When he did as directed, she told him, "good job."

The nurses put the baby immediately to Olivia's chest and began rubbing Riley down with towels to clean her up a bit. "She sure was in a rush to meet her mommy and daddy." One of the nurses commented.

Fitz wasn't sure if he could touch her or not, but he crouched down beside Olivia and kissed her. "You were absolutely amazing, babe. A real friggin rock star! I'm so proud of you and how you did that. I love you so much!"

Olivia was bawling as she held her daughter and kissed her husband. "I love you too and I can't believe she's finally here! Can you believe it?"

The new mom looked loving at her newborn, absolutely star struck at how beautiful she was, and that she was all theirs. She wiped her eyes and tenderly put a kiss on top of her little one's head. "Happy birthday, Riley. I've been waiting an awfully long time to see you, my sweet girl."

Fitz was speechless. Riley was so tiny. Naturally, he knew babies were small, but theirs was itty bitty. He momentarily wondered if she should be safely tucked inside an incubator. No one seemed worried about it, so he wasn't going either. Maybe he'd mention it in a few minutes just to be sure.

The top of her head was covered with thick curls. He smiled, knowing they had that in common. She looked like a carbon copy of Olivia. In fact, she had stopped crying the moment Livvie had started talking to her. It was like Riley knew she was her mother. She was staring up at her mother with a mix of fascination and exhaustion on her face, but she was completely calm in her mother's arms.

Riley had the cutest little nose, and watching it crinkle when she yawned was adorable. Her fingers and toes were incredibly small, but he took a minute to count them all, twice, to make sure there were ten of each. She was a beautiful baby. He knew lots of people said that their newborns were pretty babies, and they might have been, but his daughter really was and no one could tell him otherwise. He couldn't wait to watch her personality shine through as she grew up.

She was laying on Olivia's chest having some skin to skin time, happy as a clam. Her eyes were still slightly open, but they looked like they were losing that battle fast. It was the cutest thing. One of her tiny hands was in a fist on her mother's chest, but the other one was open, and Fitz couldn't resist. He carefully stuck his index finger into her warm little palm. The newborn's hand immediately closed around it, holding onto her daddy's big finger. Fitz started to cry.

Olivia tore her eyes from her daughter long enough to look at her husband. Riley already had her daddy head over heels in love with her. He was an emotional mess and it was the sweetest thing to see. She was glad she wasn't the only one. "Are you okay?" She asked him.

He nodded and wiped his eyes with his free hand. He wasn't ever moving his finger out of her hand. They were gonna have to...

"You wanna hold her?" Olivia asked.

Maybe he'd let go of her hand for a minute.

"Yea!" His answer was immediate. And maybe a little too loud. Riley was startled by it and her little body jumped. She started crying, and Fitz froze. "Maybe I shouldn't."

Olivia smiled at him. "She's not gonna break. Are you, Riley? No, you're not. We're just all gonna have to adjust to each other, huh?"

Fitz scooped Riley up from on top of Liv as if she were made of glass. He'd never held a newborn before, but he took special care holding her close to his chest. That was the moment. He felt infinitely close to his daughter. And protective too. As he held Riley, he vowed to protect her from anything bad in the world. That she would get the best of his time, attention, and help whenever she needed it.

She was so much smaller than his two hands. It was amazing to see. He peered down at her resting comfortably against his chest and looking back up at him expectantly with that same sleepy expression. Fitz kissed the top of her head began to sway with her. She blinked at him, and he thought his heart would burst with love. He smiled big and proud, not caring who saw it.

Learning from his previous mistake, Fitz leaned down and quietly murmured, "Hello beautiful girl. I am your daddy. You don't realize it right now, Riley Amelia, but we are having our very first daddy daughter dance. There will be lots more of them as you grow up, but this one is the most special. You're gonna have to teach me all the newest dance moves so that I don't embarrass you. I'll do enough of that on my own."

"Okay, Fred Astaire. If you're done with the dance lessons, we need to give your daughter a physical exam, and then she will get her very first bath." The nurse told him.

Fitz stopped moving and had a quiet conversation with his daughter. "Riley, what do you think? Do we want to stop dancing for a bath and stuff?"

Riley sighed and closed her eyes.

"I don't think my little girl is completely on board with that plan yet." Fitz looked at the newborn and chuckled. "Come on, sleepyhead."

Fitz watched the nurse like a hawk as she handled Riley like she was a bag of potatoes. He was not a fan of it, but since no one else was calling her out on it, he kept quiet. Riley was still asleep through it too, and he figured if she wasn't happy, she'd be letting them know.

"She weighs seven pounds seven ounces and is twenty inches long." The nurse declared.

"What are you doing now?" Fitz asked.

"I'm going to take her footprint. You can take pictures if you want."

Riley was not a fan of that at all! She screamed at the top of her lungs while the nurse grasped her ankle and patted the bottom of her foot to an ink pad before pressing her little foot to the rectangular 'It's A Girl' announcement that was taped to her bed.

Fitz was endlessly fascinated watching her expressions through it all, but his favorite was the bath. His girl didn't like, but loved her bath. Fitz took another million pictures as she smiled when her hair got washed. Of her getting all clean. That joy was nothing compared to when the nurse began to dry her off and put a diaper on her little bottom.

"Babe? Can you put this on her please now that she's clean?" Olivia asked.

"Me?" He asked, taking the long sleeved onesie from his wife. "Am I allowed to dress her?"

"She's your daughter, Mr. Grant. Of course you can dress her." The nurse assured him. First time dads were the cutest thing to watch. She stepped aside and kept an eye on him.

"I've never done this before, Riley so please be patient with your daddy." Fitz pulled apart the three snaps at the bottom.

"Go ahead and bunch it up in your hands, so you can easily slide it over her head all at once." The nurse told him.

"Okay." Fitz did as he was told.

"And do the arms carefully, but quickly. They usually hate the arms part, so be warned. She'll probably cry."

"Will you do it if she cries?" Fitz asked.

She chuckled and told him, "sure."

Not a whimper was uttered as Fitz dressed his daughter in a onesie. He puffed up with pride as she slept through the whole thing. When he finished snapping the three round silver closures, Fitz watched Riley stretch her arms up past her ears with her eyes closed, and her lips poked out. She laid there as content as could be. That was the moment he read what her onesie said.

Daddy's girl

His eyes filled as he looked down at her with a happy smile. Salty tears slid down his face as he watched his perfect tiny daughter sleep peacefully. No thoughts of her getting married or leaving home ever entered into his mind. Fitz was living in the deliriously happy moment that she was finally here. Nothing could be more perfect, in his opinion.

Fitz picked her up and handed her to Olivia as gently as humanly possible. "She is perfect."

"She really is." Olivia agreed, as she studied her daughter's features. "Oh! I need to count her fingers and toes."

"I already did that. Twice." Fitz told her with a grin as he kept his eyes on Riley. "It had to be done. I can't believe that she was in your belly earlier this morning."

"Right?"

"Poor girl really was all squished up in there, huh?" Fitz leaned down and kissed her tiny hand.

"No wonder she was kicking all the time. Precious girl had no room." Olivia rubbed her index finger against the newborn's cheek. "Her skin is soft and smooth. I'm so glad she's finally here. She is amazing."

He smiled at his wife and kissed her cheek. "The second most amazing female I know. I love you so much, Liv."

"I love you too." They watched her in pure amazement for a few more minutes before Olivia began to get sleepy herself. "Babe? Can you take her please? I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open right now and I want to take a little nap before the grandparents storm in here and take over, okay?"

"Yea, yea. Of course." He said, happily taking Riley from Liv's arms.

"I don't want to sleep long. Just a half hour, okay?" She asked as she curled onto her side facing away from him.

"Absolutely." He assured her.

The second it was obvious that Olivia was asleep, Fitz started a conversation in hushed tones with a sleeping Riley in his arms. "Now is as good a time as any to go over the rules, young lady. You will take your time growing up. We are not rushing through a minute of anything. No wishing you are five when you're four. No walking before you crawl. I mean it.

Another rule is that your daddy gets the biggest hugs every single day. I don't care if you're twenty-six, and your boyfriend is waiting for you. I'm gonna need a hug every day from you. A tight one. With both arms.

And while we're on the subject of boyfriends. You are not allowed to date until you are at least eighteen."

Riley gave a smile in her sleep.

"You can't just smile your way out of things with me, Riley." But he was already feeling his reserve failing. "It's the most beautiful smile, but I'm married to the queen of using her smile to get her own way. Just because it works for her, doesn't mean it will work for you. We're going to at least pretend it won't work for you. Okay?"

"Let's talk about your mommy for a minute. She is an absolute superhero. She's the smartest, kindest, funniest, most beautiful person in the whole wide world. Your mommy is going to take such good care of you, and love you so, so much. She's probably going to take you shopping the second you learn how to walk. But that's okay. My girls need to have pretty things.

You are not allowed to be mean to her or say things that might hurt her feelings. On accident or on purpose. Ever. You will treat her with respect and tell her that you love her all the time. You will make her cute macaroni necklaces and give her flowers on Mother's Day. You will do your best to be just like her, because she is an amazing person.

Your grandmother is going to go nuts when she meets you in a little while. She's going to cry and hold you tight and cry some more and take lots of pictures. But that will be nothing compared to your two grandfathers. They are going to cry more than your grandmother." Fitz chuckled at the thought of his dad crying the minute he holds his granddaughter for the first time. "But they are going to be great allies for you. And they will love you a lot too. And they will buy you whatever you want. Within reason."

"Aunt Abby and aunt Quinn are going to try to teach you to be sarcastic. Don't you let them! You keep being the sweet and perfect little girl that you already are. They are going to love you too though." He added with a smile. "They are mostly harmless, and fun and nice. Don't tell them I said that though."

"Promise me that you will always call me dad, even after we tell you about your father when you're older. I promise I'll always love you and protect you and your mother. I'm not going to always get it right. I've never been a dad before, so you're going to have to be patient with me sometimes. And I'm going to have to be patient with you too, but we are family, and we are in this together, okay?

I'm happier than you will ever know to have your mommy for my wife and you for my daughter. I love you both to the moon and back and I always will." Fitz pressed a light kiss to her forehead and quietly watched her sleep. He had no plans of waking Liv up in a half hour either. She had had a rough night and he'd let her sleep as long as she wanted. He was more than content right where he was.

Olivia grinned as she listened to her husband's rules before falling to sleep. He was the cutest daddy.

Two hours later, Fitz couldn't put it off any longer. His phone was blowing up with texts and missed calls from the grandparents who were eager to meet their granddaughter. More than one message had threatening undertones to it. Sighing loudly, Fitz knew the quiet little bubble was about to be broken.

"Liv? Hey, babe? You've gotta get up."

Olivia cracked her eyes open and stretched as she yawned. "Has it been thirty minutes already?"

"Wellllll, it's been a little longer than that."

She turned her head, looking for her phone. "How much longer? The grandparents have been out in the waiting room expecting to come up and meet her."

"I let you sleep for two hours, babe."

"TWO..."

"Stop. You needed the rest. You didn't sleep good last night and was up early with labor pains."

"But..."

"No buts. It's done with. They can be mad at me if they want."

"That works. How's our little girl?"

"Just as exhausted as you apparently." he chuckled. "She's been out the whole time too. Who knew life with two girls would be so quiet?"

"Gimme my baby, Fitz." She said with a smile and held out her arms.

"No way. She's my girl." Fitz said as he rocked her.

"Fine. You wanna play it that way." She grabbed her phone and touched the face of it a few times. "Hey, momma. You and daddy can come up now. Yea. Bring Max too please. Love you."

Fitz's eyes got big and he handed Riley to her mother. "That was just mean."

A knock sounded on the door a moment before Marie, Aaron, and Max stepped inside. The room was filled with soft ooooooh's and awwwww's from the excited new grandparents.

Marie cried silent happy tears and hugged both of her girls before taking the baby from her mother's arms. "Happy birthday, Riley. I'm so glad you're here. And let me tell you before your mother distorts the facts, I knew you were a girl from the moment I found out about you. I said you were a beautiful soul with a brave and wonderful mother, and I didn't lie. Look at you! You're a carbon copy of your mommy, and one day you will learn just how brave and wonderful she really is."

"Oh my goodness. She does look just like you did when you were born, lil bit." Aaron said with a proud smile.

"Really, dad?"

"Absolutely. We'll have to dig out pictures to compare after you get home." he looked at Fitz and said, "you have been taking pictures in here, right son?"

Fitz got to his feet. "Only a couple hundred. But I can get more storage on my phone for more pictures if you think I should."

Max stepped into the room and pulled his son close for a hug. "I'm sure you have plenty for now, son."

"Hey, dad." Fitz held on tightly for a moment before letting go.

"Long night?" Max asked with a grin.

"Actually, it went really fast. From the time Liv's water broke until Riley got here, it was like less than three hours."

"Did she yell at you a lot?"

Fitz rolled his eyes and nodded. He wasn't about to answer that question out loud within hearing distance from his wife.

"Your mom yelled at me a lot too." Max told him.

"Really? That's oddly comforting."

Max peered over at Aaron, who was holding Riley and having a quiet conversation with her. "She's beautiful."

"Well, I can't take any credit for how she looks." Fitz said as his eyes flicked lovingly over to the newborn.

"That may be true, but you can make sure she's just as beautiful on the inside."

"Thanks, dad." Fitz pulled him close for another hug.

"Your parents are good as gold. You just have to train them. I can help with all of that, but something tells me you're not gonna have that problem, itty bitty." Aaron chuckled and kissed the top of Riley's head.

"Awww, dad. Is that her nickname?" Olivia asked as she teared up.

"Lil bit's baby has to be itty bitty."

"Oh my gosh, that's the cutest thing in the world." Olivia cried and wiped at her eyes helplessly. Pregnancy hormones were a bitch!

When Fitz and Max parted, Aaron got to his feet and stood in front of Max. "We've got a beauty here, Max. You know what our job is in all of this, right?"

"To spoil her rotten." Max replied with a conspiratorial grin.

Aaron chuckled and handed the newborn to her grandfather. "Yes, Sir. I think we can take care of that task just fine. What do you think?"

"Oh, I believe we are just the men for the job." Aaron went to talk to Fitz and Liv and he took a moment with his perfect brand new granddaughter. "Hi, Riley Amelia. I sure am happy to finally meet you. I'm your second grandfather, but you can call me whatever you want to. I promise I'll love it. You should know that your daddy picked your first name. That might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is. One day you'll understand how important it was for your mommy to trust your daddy with picking your name.

Your middle name was your grandmother's first name, and that was your mommy's idea. That might not seem like a big deal either, but it is to me. Your grandmother would have loved you right to pieces." Max stopped his little speech to watch the newborn. She had been sound asleep, but opened her eyes and blinked a few times, and kept them open. He couldn't help himself. He leaned down and kissed her chubby little cheek. "You are a miracle to me, and I love you. Like your daddy says, to the moon and back."

Riley grinned up at him and closed one eye before closing the other one too. Both for good this time. It looked like she winked up at him. That was something his wife used to do before she went to take a nap on Sundays. Max broke into a huge proud smile. Riley already had just effectively wrapped her grandfather around her perfect little finger. Max had a feeling that none of their lives would ever be the same as they were before this moment.

**Don't worry, they're not gone for good. We'll peek in on them from time to time in holiday one shots like we do with Olitz from WCFIO. If you read this story, left a review, tweeted or commented on Facebook about it, THANK YOU. Honestly, it means a lot to me. I've said it before & I'll say it again, I really don't know what I'm doing, but you guys make me feel like I do. All of you are an amazing source of encouragement to me. A new story will be heading your way before too long. Until then, I'll be busy working on Duty Calls.**


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